I check into the hospital tomorrow. I told Adam, "You take Bess and Gamgee, I'll take the baby girls, and I'll meet you at the other side."
I decided today, on my last trip to the hospital for daily monitoring, before starting the 24 hour monitoring tomorrow, that this is why you ought to read to your kids. My parents read the Narnia chronicles to me and my siblings when I was a kid, and my husband's parents read them to him. Because of that (and later finds like LOTR, and yet earlier foundations, like Bible stories) I feel like we know how to think about all of this.
It's not happening to us, we are happening to it. We are choosing to accept the charge laid on us, we're choosing to obey. It's like Frodo agreeing to take the ring to Mordor, or like Jill and Eustace obeying Aslan and going on that long, gloomy trip across the moors with Puddleglum. Because of reading stories like those, Adam and I know that obedience is a choice, but that disobedience is no choice at all. And that being given a mission is not being given a sinecure. But that the only real life lies in taking on the burden, going on the journey, obeying your Lord.
I can't even express how much it helps to think of the next few months in those terms. But I couldn't have predicted that even a few months ago. I didn't know that those stories would ever do me as much good as they're doing me now. But now I'm grateful that our parents introduced us to Lewis and Tolkein as kids (and that Lewis and Tolkein were introduced to Spencer and his ilk as kids).
On a more concrete note: I don't know if I'll have internet access at the hospital, so I might not be posting for awhile.
On a yet more practical note: please pray for us, for me there, for the safety of our unborn babies, for my husband and kids at home, and for the people who are so kindly coming over to take care of the kids while I'm away. (Neither house nor kids abandoned, praise God!)
And I'll see you on the other side!
peace of Christ to you,
Jessica
7 comments:
I've been praying, and will keep on. I hope, in the midst of all the difficulty, that it turns out to be a beautiful experience.
Praying for you, Jessica, the twins, and your family. I hope you'll be able to keep us posted.
You are constantly in my prayers, Jessica. You and your whole family.
You are in my prayers
You continue to be in my prayers. God bless you!
Also, I thought of you the other day as I'm learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. It's brought great peace to my life and I was thinking that it's great that if I were ever to have to be away from home for a long time I could continue to do it while there...and then I thought of you! Anyway, I think that it is an Anglican tradition as well so I thought I would pass it on as a suggestion of something you might enjoy while you're there.
Thank you for the beautiful post. You and your family are in my prayers.
You are absolutely in my prayers, and I can't wait to hear how things turn out. Will be looking forward to your return!
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