Raining

As it has been many places in the country, it's been raining cats and dogs - though I'm so grateful that we haven't had the tragic rains they've had in the south. Yesterday and today the moisture was so heavy, like it was being held up in a canopy, and then the rain came bursting down in a torrent.  This is a metaphor for how things have been with my family lately.

My precious husband, Brad, just lost part of his fingertip last week on a table saw at work. You also may recall that my step-cousin was murdered in January. My parents could not attend the funeral in Florida because my Step-dad was too ill to attend, actually both my Mom and he had pneumonia then.

As many of you know that my Step-dad has been recently diagnosed with lung cancer.  He's been in the hospital for a couple of weeks now. He's doing somewhat better, but his blood pressure is very low and he was having a very hard time tolerating the radiation treatments. We are hoping he will be well enough to come home in a few days and be strong enough to take the hour long trips in to the city hospital every day and home again.  They way off the beaten path.


My brother came up from Massachusetts and Brad (dh), Justin (son), and I went down to spend the weekend with my Mom and all of us visited him in the hospital. We had some good family time. But while visiting we heard that my parents grandson (my step-cousin) was taken to the hospital with what my nurse step-sister thought was bacterial menengitis. We are now glad to know that wasn't the case, but it was a severe migraine. (Something you know I sympathize with!)

On my brother's ride home, already in NH, he got a call from the hospital  that our own father (in MA) was admitted with a potentially life threatening situation.   They found esophageal varices which may be related to his abdominal aortic aneurysm that they are watching.  They had to replace a lot of blood that he had lost. He's recovering now and hopefully will be home tomorrow.  It's a 4 hour ride from here so I was waiting for the word to see if I needed to go or if I could wait to visit him when he gets home.

Eric's (brother) been keeping me posted and informed me that my step-mother was brought to the ER today with a heart scare. She has had major heart issues so this was not good to hear. After a good once over, they sent her home, thankfully. 

For a period of time today I had 3 out of my 4 parents hospitalized with serious issues - though my two dads are still remain there.  With two sets of parents you might imagine that life has probably had enough complications of its own . . . and lots of emotional pain through the years.  Without getting into all the details (as you've been kind enough to listen to me so far) please trust me when I say that it is nothing short of a miracle what the Lord has done in the lives of my parents and for my brother and I to at last have relationships with all of them - eh, to some degree or another, somewhat dysfunctionally speaking, and on a variety of levels. We are closest to our Mom who is wonderful and although she has some of her own health issues, so far she's doing alright.

In a broken world there are broken relationships, broken hearts, as well as broken bodies.

Dealing with all of these things can be mind boggling and heart wrenching. As I've walked through many rain storms my Heavenly Father has shown me that he wishes to shower down his love on me, especially during these times. The emotional devastation would be to much for me to bear if I had not found that he was the One I need to make me whole.  This gives me a certain type of shelter that is hard to describe. I'm encompassed by his peace and can trust that He loves my parents, my husband, my children, and others dear to me even more than I do.

Thank you, friends, for letting me share my personal thoughts here.  For always listening and praying.  Writing about these things helps.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know
what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with
groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26)

Do you find it helpful to write about your trials? How can I pray for you today?