These last few weeks have been a bit of an intense time for us as a family. There has been so much change and not a lot of time to really sit down and reassess what we’re doing, where we’re going and how this is all going to work. Tim started a new job about two months ago at the head office of Scripture Union QLD in the IT department. He absolutely loves it. The work, the team, the organisation. The only downside is that it is three and a half hours of travel each day. My brother Josh has just returned from a couple of months with his aunt and uncle to stay at our place while he studies grade eleven. My health has also been up in the air which came to a head at the start of this week. I had a couple of very high blood pressure readings which prompted a visit to a doctor at the hospital who prescribed me some medications to bring it down. I really hate drugs of any kind, and this really upset me. A lot. I’m still not entirely sure why it affected me as strongly as it did, but I was crushed by this information. I decided to hold off on taking the medication for a few days and try and bring it down myself which I’ve actually had success in so far. Prayers would still be appreciated.
Anyway, all that was basically background information to get to what I really wanted to talk about. How ridiculously and abundantly loved we are, and the amazing friends that are in our life. We’ve just been so blessed over this past week.
Wednesday: My horrific day at the hospital was spent dealing with (in my opinion) incompetent staff. I may be giving them a hard rap, my mood really wasn’t the best. I was actually quite grumpy, non compliant and challenging (There was a lot of eye rolling going on). Despite all this, my friends and midwives Jodie and Sonya were extremely supportive. They sat in waiting rooms with us for hour after hour and were totally on the ball regarding what needed to be done. They always go above and beyond.
Thursday: This was the day I had to face everything and decide what action I was going to take. Apparently burying my head and denying it wasn’t a reasonable option. So I had to make some decisions, particularly regarding lowering stress levels. I was a blubbering mess that morning, though I settled a bit by lunch time. Our friend Alan took work off early and drove the hour and a half out to us to bring chocolate and a listening ear. It really demonstrated to me that people care.
Friday: My sister came out for the day to help me out with the boys while I tried to figure out what I was doing with uni. There’s no way I would have been able to do what I needed to without her. It was a big deal for her to drive that far and take a day out of her life in a crazy period for her just to help me out. Nathan was so excited to have Aunty Lucy with him for the day.
Saturday: After a lovely party celebrating a beautiful friend’s 50th birthday we returned home to catch a nap before the next blessing of the week. God just kept showing us how much people care. Janet and her two daughters from our church came out just to clean our house for a few hours. They brought dinner with them, worked hard and got my house to a state where it’s no longer stressing me. For someone who really needs to feel organised, this was HUGE for me.
There was extra light for me this week with the arrival of two eagerly awaited new little lives. Our friends Stu and Jo had their little boy Azariah Rain on Monday 12 August 2013 after what I’ve herad was a 20 hour labour. She is a first time mum who had her little boy at home at 42+2 days! I am so impressed and proud of her! They are going to be absolutely amazing parents and I’m so keen to give little Aza a cuddle.
I was so blessed to be a part of baby Ruben’s welcoming. After such a tumultuous pregnancy, this birth was just miracle after miracle and a real time of healing. Krystelle worked beautifully to birth her baby boy (a big surprise for me, I was definitely expecting a girl) at 2323 on 13/8/13. Krystelle and Andrew are two of our closest friends and they handled the whole journey magnificently. This is the first brother to big sister Scarlet who is so proud. We cannot wait to watch these two precious boys grow into strong and gentle men of God.
So this week has been full of highs and lows. It’s been so huge and mentally exhausting, but somehow I’ve ended it feeling blessed and secure in the love of God and of my friends and family. There is still a lot to come in the next few weeks. Tim leaves for two weeks in Vietnam tonight which he is both excited and nervous about. I think it’s going to be a great period of growth for him and I’m really looking forward to hearing his story when he gets back. Prayers for this time for our little family would be very welcome.
Thanks for being with us and journeying beside us and showing that you care. We truly are blown away.