Day 60

Well, I have been at this for 2 months now.  It amazes me how much there is to be thankful for if I just look.  Some things are private and I don’t share them, but there is almost always something that I can share.  From the natural world around us, to the spiritual blessings we have in Jesus, to modern conveniences, our relationships, or good things that happen to those around us…the list goes on and on.  I know some of the things that I list may seem pretty trivial, but even the smallest things are worthy of thanksgiving.  If you’ve ever done without something as simple and common as toilet paper, then you realize what a blessing it is! 

Even some things which may not seem like a blessing at the time, can be.  Spending 7 years waiting for children definitely did NOT seem like a blessing, nor did having 5 miscarriages.  Now I can look back and be thankful for that time.  It gave Dennis and I seven years for our relationship to grow and allowed us time to know each other better than if we’d been dealing with all the complications of parenthood.  It allowed us to cherish, even more, our children when we were finally blessed with them.  And we wouldn’t have the 3 that we now have, if we hadn’t lost the others (I really don’t think we would have decided to have 8 kids!)

Another thing that didn’t seem very thankworthy at the time is failed relationships from the past.  Broken hearts are never fun (whether yours is the heart being broken or you are the one doing the breaking), but each person that plays an important role in our lives changes us and enriches us in some way…even if it is just teaching us that they aren’t the person that we need in our life.  We also learn to trust in God’s timing and direction when things don’t work out the way we might think they should.  We learn patience and compassion by going through our trials and troubles…as well as humility.

So today I’m thankful for the pains and sufferings of my past.  I’m thankful that God has seen me through them, and that He has used them to teach me a thing or two.  Now I need to learn to be thankful for the pains and sufferings of my present.

1 Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Families

Last week was quite eventful and emotional.  Dennis was sick with a bad cold, so I tried to stay away from him as much as possible.  I slept on the couch and popped Zycam frequently, praying continuously!  I couldn't risk getting sick and not being able to go see Jesse!  Mandy's C-section was planned for Thursday at noon...the ONE day that I had plans that I couldn't change.  One of my CASA cases was coming up for the final hearing...where the parental rights were going to be terminated.  I felt like I really needed to be there.  I'm still on the case until the children are adopted.  I pray that a loving family will make these three beautiful children a permanent part of their lives...hopefully the foster home in which they are placed.  Such a day of contrast:  one family losing their rights as parents, while another became parents for the first time.

As soon as the trial was over, I rushed home to pick up Ricky and headed to Paris.  We made it to the hospital about 1 1/2 hours after Jesse's birth.  The other grandparents and great-grandparents were still waiting for the opportunity to get to hold him.  We were all able to look into the nursery and watch him, but Stephen was the only one who could actually touch him at that point.  Poor Mandy was still stuck back in recovery...waiting to be reunited with Jesse and Stephen!  FINALLY they got her situated in her room and started letting family go back to see them.  We took turns going back, a couple at a time.  It was wonderful to finally be able to hold my grandson in my arms!  He is perfect!  I couldn't get enough of him...studying his sweet face and memorizing every detail.  Sheila showed up that evening, right at the end of visiting hours.  She came on back, anyway, to have a little time of snuggle time with her nephew before getting kicked out.  (Actually the nurses were very tolerant of us all!)

We were back up at the hospital when visiting hours started the next morning.  Ricky, Sheila and I took turns with Jesse...each of us totally enchanted.  Ray, Kit and Chelsey showed up a little before lunchtime for a visit.  Ricky was supposed to be at work at 4:00, so our time was very limited.  We said our goodbyes (reluctantly), then went out to eat lunch with Kit's family.  We enjoyed our visit with them, although we had to rush through it!  Then that long drive home....

Dennis has a week's vacation next week, so we plan to go back to Paris for a couple of days.  (I hope our car is out of the body shop by then!)  I can't wait to see Dennis and Jesse together!  Dennis has always had a special love for little ones...and he is so good with them!  I remember when we became parents...I was pretty ignorant about babies, other than what I had read in books.  His quiet and calm manner with Stephen was such a help to me in those early days of getting used to being a mother (as well as all the years to come!).  I hope that Stephen can be as helpful with Mandy and Jesse as his dad was with me and him!

Carrying on with my 365 days of thanksgiving...today I am thankful for the good dad that my children had!

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.