 |
 |
| Bedtime- Playtime |
This time, and in this place, though I have
been nurse to him for so long, I will step into the role of “momma.” I will hold and love on, comfort, and care
for- I will be the one his little arms reach for, and his cries call for. The one who aches to see his suffering, the
one who will soothe and rock to sleep, the one who will, because it is what is
best for him, hold him still while they poke, keep little hands from pulling
out lines and wires. I will be the one
who speaks to him in a tongue that he understands and kisses his little head
snuggled close to my own beating heart.
I will not let him have his way because it is not what is best for my
little broken hearted one, and I will pray.
I will pray hard that his heart will be strong, that it will respond
well to the increased flow, that it will heal, that his little heart will be
whole once again. Yes, he will need more
surgery, this process is not done yet, he will have more hurt and more
suffering ahead but right now we will focus on what is in this moment, this
breath- this heart beat. And I will remember always that my God is the one who
binds up the broken hearted. He is the
mender of souls, the one who longs to rub healing ointment on the wounds of sin
and pain, leaving scars that will remind us of His faithfulness, of His love,
and care and the provision that would take us, the Broken Hearted ones, and
love us enough to be scarred for our salvation.  |
| What the waiting room looks like when you are the last patient to leave |
 |
| Fortis Hospital- Bangalore, India |
 |
| Our New Hospital Home- Bed 625 |
 |
| Surgery Morning- waiting at 5:00am - Thank you Bobby for my Cars Stickers they really helped pass the time |
 |
| So Thankful that our room had a "Rear Window"- |
 |
| Thank you Jacob- Ruthie as promised pictures of our matching T's! |
It's late afternoon I sit working on sending e-mails and
find myself pausing to once again reach for my cup of coffee. I smile to myself thinking of all those who
will also smile seeing that once again coffee has worked its way into a note
from me and then a thought crosses my mind, do they understand the significance
of this little cup- or in my case the rather large cup? So while I am here in The PICU waiting room
of a hospital in India with that warm cup held casually in my hand let me
share. 
This cup is a reminder, it is a
warm hug from home, it is a measure of fellowship, it is love in a cup. I was raised in a family of coffee drinkers,
not just Mom and Daddy but really a family of them. I learned to make coffee when I was four and
my delight was to awake before my parents to be the one to make the coffee for
them- this did end in some funny stories, you see it meant starting coffee at
three or four in the morning if I was going to be done before my early rising
parents we're up at five. Some of my
fondest memories are of the early morning smell of coffee- it meant
time...fellowship, lives starting the morning together. I loved hearing my grandparents at the table
with my parents in early conversation hot steaming cups in their hands. My mom's brothers left incredibly early for
work but I could always count on hearing their voices in the kitchen around
4:30 or 5:00 lighthearted banter of siblings as they visited those few minutes
over the coffee momma had ready for their stop through. It became inseparable in my mind with loving
well. The sacrifice of sleeping in to
make sure the pot was hot and people knew they were loved and welcome. In my family coffee shops are gathering
places to catch up, asking if someone wants to meet for coffee is an "I
Love You" moment that says you are important to me, your fellowship is
something I desire. Oh and if the coffee
shop doesn't work out stop by our homes, you see family knows coffee. There
will be the signature flavors, the fresh smell of roasted and ground beans, the
line up of new creamers, and two pots on the counter so that if the afternoon
cup needs to be decaf we can handle that.
I smile knowing that we have GPS for every Starbucks along our route and
yet we do occasionally branch out to check out the local flavors. I love that people "send" me cups
of coffee loving me and fellow shipping from a distance each sip reminds me of
love and memories and precious people. I
think it is a treasure to know that Mikey went to all the work of finding out
the mix of flavors for my favorite Turtle coffee at my home town coffee shop so
that he would be able to mix it just right for coffee days in China. This
wonderful coffee time tradition was reinforced while I was in Wales as every
afternoon they broke for tea- I love the fact that they slowed down and took
time to sip on a cup and re-energize for the rest of the day. I must here interject that we are also big
tea drinkers...partly because my sweet sister Melissa is NOT a coffee girl, she
loves the smell, loves that it brings us all together but her massive morning
cup will be filled with tea. Another
reason to serve, I love that our coffee tray takes into consideration the
flavors of each of those represented, their likes and dislikes, that their
desires are put before the perfect match of my hostess tray. 
.JPG)
Once again I sit in an airport the cross
roads of good bye and hello, the waiting, transition, and movement of life
pulsing all around me. There is
laughter, chatter, overhead announcements in multiple languages telling people
where to hurry and scurry, there are tears of joy and tears of sorrow, people
waiting, rushing, checking in, checking out, looking, searching, anticipating,
determined, exhausted, energetic, and all here massed together to cross paths
at such a time as this, a picture of life's journey. Here I sit, Starbucks in hand (thinking of
y'all!). I have spent the past week with
Mommy and Daddy who came a couple days early to visit before they pick up new
little sister Kaitryn Jing Ni in Hefei tomorrow. We have just said goodbye and I am trying to
focus on the task at hand to keep the tears at bay. We have had a wonderful time just being
together, doing the things that I do here.
They have followed me around at both work and play getting a taste of my
China world and even greater insight into the culture and background of my two
precious little sisters. I have been so
blessed to share this time with them. Just
a few minutes ago here in Beijing we have parted ways and now I wait for more
goodbyes and for more hellos. In about
an hour my sweet friend Abby will arrive from Luoyang with a very precious
cargo. She is leaving for her return
trip home to the States and is bringing me a baby! Yes, that really is how it works here
transitions often happen and our omniscient Heavenly Father works out the
master plan with such detail that the interceptions at an airport are always
Providential! Many of you have already
heard bits and pieces of my latest proposed adventure and now the time to
embark upon it has arrived. Little
Jeremiah and I will fly to Bangalore India tomorrow in order to take him for
cardiac surgery. He is 19 months old and
I would covet your prayers as he undergoes treatment and we will both be in
unfamiliar territory having neither one ever traveled to India! I am grateful that I am very familiar with
this precious little boy as I have been caring for him since he was only a few
days old. Momma loves the fact that he
runs to hide behind my legs when he sees a stranger and peeks out from my
shoulder to get a better look at those around him if he is unsure of them,
flashing the brightest white of a smile when he does. At this time we are projected to be there six
to eight weeks, please pray for his recovery time and the skill and care of the
surgeons who will be looking after him. Pray that I will have wisdom and a clear mind
as I sit at his bedside to provide the "Mommy" care he needs. Pray for our hearts both physical and
emotional. I am so grateful for each of
you and for those of you who have already shared so much information with me
along with contacts and sharing friends or friends and family both physical and
spiritual- I appreciate the care you have already given me as I
enter a strange and new chapter of my journey.
I will do my best to keep you posted and updated in the weeks to come. 
Covered
in His Unending Grace, |
| Precious Brother you are a gift and I am eternally grateful for you. I love you up to the moon, I love you big as the sky, I love you More! |
