God brought us through

     It is interesting to see the way God works in our lives.  The last time I posted in this blog was when we were expecting our first baby (over a year ago).  God was impressing the truth on my heart that He was with us through the storms.  Well, what a storm was on its way!  If someone had told me then what was coming, I don't think I would have believed them.  Here's a fly-over view of what happened since October 2019.  

    In early December 2019 we found out we were expecting twins.  A fairly normal pregnancy and some heart-breaking news followed.  A few days before birth our baby boy's heart stopped without any medical explanation.  It was the most painful shock I have ever had.  But God preserved our baby girl's life.  In March 2020 she was born healthy and so perfect.  She is a joy!  In the midst of being at the hospital we just started to learn about the Covid-19 virus that hit the USA.   It has been a global pandemic that has changed our way of life and touched almost every facet of life.  Five weeks after our baby girl was born my husband fell off a two-foot step ladder (yes, you read two-foot) and broke both his arms.  I went from being in "recovery" from birth to being sole caretaker to an infant and mostly helpless husband.  We had such a tremendous amount of love and support poured out from friends, family, church, and our camp family.  God brought us through one day at a time.  Then, July 31st 2020 James got Covid.  Whew!  What next?  For most of the month of August we were in quarantine as James slowly recovered and Susanna and I waited out our isolation.  Praise God Susanna and I never got sick.

    Last fall James eventually got mostly back to normal and is able to use both arms normally now.  We slowly adjusted to learning how to parent Susanna together.  It was a learning curved to slowly release responsibilities and share them with James.  But how much better it has been to be able to have help and parent her together.  We had a great time seeing family over the holidays.  

    After the holidays I felt like I had some major stress and possibly a touch of post-partum depression.  There had been such a weight on my shoulders at times trying to care for my family and feeling I was not getting any free time (except maybe snatches here and there).  Susanna was not napping much.   I was feeling quite run down.  I had a hard time really looking ahead with much hope or optimism because I was emotionally and mentally and physically feeling run down.  After praying and talking to friends and reaching out, God met me in the midst of deepest depths of need.  He picked me up.  He used people to give some timely words of advice and to help bear some burdens.  During this time, I have learned to humble myself and ask for help and to receive help.  I learned to adjust Susanna's schedule.  I am learning to stop being anxious and worried. I have been learning to take things a day at a time.  And it has been working.  I have so much more joy.  I have hope.  I still do get tired sometimes.  In those times I am learning to recognize when I need to take a break and recharge.  And then, God provides the strength to keep going.  I am so very thankful to Him for this and for the people He has placed in my life to help and listen and be there in hard times.  These lessons have been invaluable. 

    Much has been shared and summed up in this post.  Much could be and has been written about this past year.  If you want to hear more, please get in touch and I'd love to share more.  In each story that God has woven into our lives I see His hand of grace through it.  There have been terrible times and good times.  Yet I know and am even more convinced that He is present.  It is such a privilege to be called His child and to walk with Him through life's journey.  For this my heart rejoices tonight.