I have come to this page often in my mind the past few days, trying to sort my thoughts and express them with the right words. Sometimes I have ideas in my mind and just can't get them written. Part of the issue has been physical - I still am recovering from the health challenges I wrote about in my last post, and now I am finishing a round of antibiotics for yet another infection. I did not know it was possible to come down with 3 things in the space of 4 weeks! I am gradually recovering and and beginning to have my normal energy level (and ability to think clearly!) back. It makes me even more grateful for the measure of health I have always enjoyed, when there are so many who don't. And it has been encouraging for me to see in the past few weeks how God has given me good-health days on exactly the days that I needed it - for my trip home, for my speaking at our ladies luncheon last Saturday, and for being at our son's for our grandson's kindergarten graduation recently.
When our three-year-old granddaughter saw me, she squealed "Ma-Ma!" and jumped into my arms. Love it! But even sweeter were her next words. "Ma-ma, how is your rash? (she is referring to the bad rash I mentioned in my last post) - and - "I have been praying for your rash!"
I was floored. My tiny granddaughter had been praying for my rash? And she thought it important enough that it was the first thing she told me?
Later that day at supper before my husband and I left to come home, our six-year-old grandson wanted to pray. Besides thanking God for the food and the nice day and the new play set we helped build, he prayed, "Help Ma-Ma and Pa-Pa to have a safe trip home. Help them not to be tired. I pray that there wouldn't be traffic. And help them to only have green lights and yellow lights, and to just go and go and go!"
We hid smiles at his words and his enthusiasm, but again, I was stunned at the depth and specifics of his prayer for a six year old. This was completely un-prompted and un-coached. I thought about how it was evident that their parents are teaching them how to pray. And I realized that when I pray for my grandchildren, it never occurred to me to pray that they would learn to pray. I pray every day for their salvation, for their health and safety, for their protection from sin, and for them to learn to obey and make right choices. But I had never thought about praying that they would be children, and someday men and women, of prayer!
As I have been mulling this over in my mind this week, my heart has become even more burdened for my grandchildren - all eight of them (to be nine in the next couple of weeks!) Oh, that they would learn how to pray and see the importance of praying about everything. That they would grow up to be men and women, moms and dads, and husbands and wives who take everything to the throne of grace! What a difference that will make in their lives if they learn that lesson now while they are so young.
Through this I have been encouraged to pray in a deeper way for my children and grandchildren. Praying Scripture for our children and grandchildren is something I have written about before and something that is so easy and so good to do. A book that I have that I recommend is "Praying the Scriptures for Your Children" by Jodie Berndt. This little book helps you to pray specifically and scripturally for their faith, character, relationships and their future. When we pray Scripture, we can be confident that we are praying right.
And as a side note, God did answer our grandson's prayer. We had one of the quickest and easiest trips home that night that we ever have had. I texted my daughter in law and told her to make sure she told our grandson, and she said "What a good lesson for him, that God answered his prayer."
What a lesson for me - to remember to pray about the deeper and the truly important aspects of our grandchildren's lives. "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Col. 4:2
Prayerfully,
Kathi
The Light in My Window
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Friday, June 3, 2016
A Memorable May
I have really missed being at the blog.
I didn't intend to go three weeks without publishing a post. Let's just say that the month of May this year was definitely a very memorable month. It started well enough, with the final Ladies Bible Study classes of the season and some of our sweet ladies treating me to lunch at Olive Garden on the last day. And some of the more normal events that filled my month were a cake decorating class at church for our teen girls and their moms, a weekend of much-needed yard work, celebrating Mother's Day, giving a baby shower, picking strawberries, attending a symphony concert, several meetings, and annual dentist and doctor appointments.
Yes. May was an extremely busy month. But I haven't gotten to the big stuff yet.
Our daughter, son-in-law, and 3 granddaughters were able to come for a week. During that time, our house was a busy, noisy, happy place with a 6 year old, 4 year old, and almost-2-year old. We did a lot of fun things: celebrated our daughter's birthday with a special dinner and she and I getting pedicures together (it is a rare treat to be able to be with one of our children on their birthday!), went to the beach, spent a day at Jamestown Settlement, took a ferry ride, and just enjoyed a lot of play time and making crafts. During their visit, our daughter and her husband celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary so pa-pa and I kept the children at home for a pizza and movie night while their parents enjoyed a much-needed night out.
About three days into their visit, I noticed that I was coming down with a very strange, bright red, and EXTREMELY itchy rash on my arms. It got to the point where I could not sleep at night unless I wrapped ice packs around my arms, so I made a trip to my doctor's office. He was mystified, as it looked and seemed very much like some type of poisonous plant but I had not been working outside for over a week. He prescribed a round of oral steroids as well as a steroid cream, and for the remainder of that week which coincided with our daughter's visit, I was rather miserable from the itching, swelling, and not being able to sleep.
It finally started to clear up, just in time for me to get on a plane for a planned visit to my parents in Georgia. I had not seen them since last September and was looking forward to spending the time with them as well as helping out as much as I could. I had a great week - doing things with my parents, celebrating my sister's and my birthdays with a special lunch, going shopping with my mother, in addition to getting their garage and closets cleaned and organized, accomplishing some outdoor chores, cooking, and various other little things. I also enjoyed walks and extended times of prayer outside in the early mornings.
It was a great week - until Sunday night when I got hit suddenly and hard by one of the worst stomach flu bugs I have ever had. I will spare you the details. The next day I was running a fever, had a horrible headache and chills, and could not sit up in a chair for more than a few minutes. My poor mother had her hands full trying to care for me and my dad who requires a lot of her attention. And I was wondering how in the world I was going to be able to fly home in just over 24 hours.
That's when the month of May became the most memorable to me. Because I asked people to pray, and God answered prayers in such a clear and wonderful way.
I felt better by the time I had to leave - I was still unable to eat anything and was very weak, but the fever, headache, and nausea were gone, which was important because I had to make a 2 hour shuttle ride and then a trek through the Atlanta airport.
I specifically asked people to pray for a short security line. Long security lines at the Atlanta airport had been in the news just a few days prior. When I got my boarding pass, I had been granted "pre-check" status - meaning I waited in line for a grand total of 5 minutes! Without having to take off my shoes and open my bags.
I asked for prayer for strength to handle my luggage. At the gate, because the flight was full they asked for volunteers to check their bags for free. Of course, I volunteered so I did not have to carry my luggage onto the plane and stow it overhead, and because I did they gave me early boarding privileges - meaning I was one of the first ones on the plane and could just relax until it was time for take-off.
After I got home, I expected my recovery to continue, but the next day I actually felt a lot worse. So back to my doctor's office I went. I now had been at my doctor's a total of three times in a month - as much as I normally am in an entire year. The doctor diagnosed me with either salmonella or noro-virus, but we will probably never know for sure. Before he came in, the nurse was looking over my chart and said "That's right! You were in here just recently for that bad case of poison-whatever." When I agreed, she shook her head and said "You sure have had a memorable May!"
Yes. It was a memorable May. Some of it I wouldn't want to repeat. But it is memorable in good ways, too. Family time. Answers to prayer. And realizing - again- just how big and how good our God is. Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in Him and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Him!"
Till next time,
Kathi
I didn't intend to go three weeks without publishing a post. Let's just say that the month of May this year was definitely a very memorable month. It started well enough, with the final Ladies Bible Study classes of the season and some of our sweet ladies treating me to lunch at Olive Garden on the last day. And some of the more normal events that filled my month were a cake decorating class at church for our teen girls and their moms, a weekend of much-needed yard work, celebrating Mother's Day, giving a baby shower, picking strawberries, attending a symphony concert, several meetings, and annual dentist and doctor appointments.
Yes. May was an extremely busy month. But I haven't gotten to the big stuff yet.
Our daughter, son-in-law, and 3 granddaughters were able to come for a week. During that time, our house was a busy, noisy, happy place with a 6 year old, 4 year old, and almost-2-year old. We did a lot of fun things: celebrated our daughter's birthday with a special dinner and she and I getting pedicures together (it is a rare treat to be able to be with one of our children on their birthday!), went to the beach, spent a day at Jamestown Settlement, took a ferry ride, and just enjoyed a lot of play time and making crafts. During their visit, our daughter and her husband celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary so pa-pa and I kept the children at home for a pizza and movie night while their parents enjoyed a much-needed night out.About three days into their visit, I noticed that I was coming down with a very strange, bright red, and EXTREMELY itchy rash on my arms. It got to the point where I could not sleep at night unless I wrapped ice packs around my arms, so I made a trip to my doctor's office. He was mystified, as it looked and seemed very much like some type of poisonous plant but I had not been working outside for over a week. He prescribed a round of oral steroids as well as a steroid cream, and for the remainder of that week which coincided with our daughter's visit, I was rather miserable from the itching, swelling, and not being able to sleep.
It finally started to clear up, just in time for me to get on a plane for a planned visit to my parents in Georgia. I had not seen them since last September and was looking forward to spending the time with them as well as helping out as much as I could. I had a great week - doing things with my parents, celebrating my sister's and my birthdays with a special lunch, going shopping with my mother, in addition to getting their garage and closets cleaned and organized, accomplishing some outdoor chores, cooking, and various other little things. I also enjoyed walks and extended times of prayer outside in the early mornings.
That's when the month of May became the most memorable to me. Because I asked people to pray, and God answered prayers in such a clear and wonderful way.
I felt better by the time I had to leave - I was still unable to eat anything and was very weak, but the fever, headache, and nausea were gone, which was important because I had to make a 2 hour shuttle ride and then a trek through the Atlanta airport.
I specifically asked people to pray for a short security line. Long security lines at the Atlanta airport had been in the news just a few days prior. When I got my boarding pass, I had been granted "pre-check" status - meaning I waited in line for a grand total of 5 minutes! Without having to take off my shoes and open my bags.
I asked for prayer for strength to handle my luggage. At the gate, because the flight was full they asked for volunteers to check their bags for free. Of course, I volunteered so I did not have to carry my luggage onto the plane and stow it overhead, and because I did they gave me early boarding privileges - meaning I was one of the first ones on the plane and could just relax until it was time for take-off.
After I got home, I expected my recovery to continue, but the next day I actually felt a lot worse. So back to my doctor's office I went. I now had been at my doctor's a total of three times in a month - as much as I normally am in an entire year. The doctor diagnosed me with either salmonella or noro-virus, but we will probably never know for sure. Before he came in, the nurse was looking over my chart and said "That's right! You were in here just recently for that bad case of poison-whatever." When I agreed, she shook her head and said "You sure have had a memorable May!"
Yes. It was a memorable May. Some of it I wouldn't want to repeat. But it is memorable in good ways, too. Family time. Answers to prayer. And realizing - again- just how big and how good our God is. Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusted in Him and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices and with my song will I praise Him!"
Till next time,
Kathi
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