God was trying to tell me something

I mentioned that December was a combination of blessings and trials for my family.  Our Florida trip was overflowing with blessings and then it was time to return home.  That's where the blessings rolled out and the trials moved in...

As we left our house to head to Florida, we were in the middle of a snowstorm that eventually shut our town down for multiple days.  Oh, how I wanted desperately to stay home and just read by the fire but plane tickets had been purchased and plans had been made.  (I'm such a hobbit by nature, but I certainly do love a good adventure once pushed into it.)  Upon our return, we prayed that pipes didn't freeze and that our house was in a happy state.  As we pulled into the garage, I noted the look on my husband's face...

Water had leaked into our house.  Not extensively, but enough to place us in immediate recovery mode.  You see, my parents and sister were coming for Christmas and I wanted everything to be perfect.  My to do list was impossible and yet I couldn't let it go.

Packages I ordered hadn't arrived.  They couldn't find them at the post office.  I was crazed.  All my efforts at shopping early had failed! (they were later found)  I had rooms to clean, aprons and place mats to sew, grocery shopping that needed to be completed and the list went on and on.  But late that night, Ruby started to cough.  That horrible cough where she can't breathe.  The cough that means she has fluid in her lungs.  Heart failure or worse.  Off to the animal ER I went- at 4 AM.  I didn't know what else to do...

They told me it would be best if we went to our vet later that morning.  So we did.  Katie and I cried together as we held Ruby in the exam room.  "It may be the beginning of the end." was the verdict but probably not that day.  We received new medication and increased the dose of the meds we had at home already.  We took Ruby everywhere with us and prayed she would make it through Christmas...

(She's still with us, I'm so thankful to say.  Her cough is gone!)  

So after staying up almost all night at the animal ER and thinking that we'd have to put our sweet dog to sleep I was exhausted.  Little did I know that I wouldn't be getting rest any time soon...

The next night I had to take my husband to the ER.  Severe stomach pain and difficulty breathing had us flying down the highway.  He couldn't buckle his seat belt as it hurt too much so the car proceeded to ding and ding signaling that someone was not buckled in.  yippee.  Katie was crying in the back seat and I teetered on a panic attack as I drove through the dark.  Calling on the Lord was all I could do.  He got us to the hospital in one piece.  Thank you, Lord.

I'd never seen my husband in pain like that.  It was immobilizing and utterly terrifying.  I silently prayed in between calling for the nurses.  I had no idea what was causing the agony.  What I did know is that Christmas preparations, flight cancellations, water damage, etc. didn't matter.  My husband and children are what matter most to me.  

In the middle of life sometimes we need a wake-up call. My phone was ringing and God was on the other end.

I needed to take my To Do list and rip it to shreds.  It was way, way, way past time.  

I'm working on this.  I truly am.  Perhaps you need to do this, too?  Let me free you from your To Do's and let you pursue what you truly love.  I'd be happy to pray for you.

Thank the Lord all turned out well and we were able to go home.  We returned feeling battered and bruised, not sure how much more we could take on- but we were warm in our beds and together.  That's all that mattered.  (The diagnosis is still up in the air so could I ask if any of you have ever experienced intense stomach pain that ends abruptly after a few hours?)

  On a gloriously happy note, we were able to see Katie perform with the Moscow Ballet!  The Nutcracker was gorgeous!  She was even asked to wear one of the professional ballerinas dresses, which was quite the honor.  Oh, and she was a mouse as well as a party girl!  My heart was so full while I watched her on stage...

Prepping for opening night...

Getting ready back stage...

I can't tell you how good it feels to get back to normal and I praise God for his wake up call.  It wasn't easy to walk through the fire but it gave us an opportunity to recognize what is truly important.  He saw my whole family through- as always.  

Thank you, Lord.