In the Refiner's Fire - Sometimes I'm Just Amazed
Sometimes I'm just amazed at how God manages to get our attention.
Sunday evening I got a call from my Mom.
They had gone out to brunch after church with some friends after church. When Dad got up to pay the bill, he passed out - and ended up going to the hospital.
It turns out he is bleeding internally (quite a bit) and they don't really know why. It's not the usual culprits, so he has to have tests, tests and more tests.
Thankfully he's home now - supposedly resting and taking it easy - but he has to go in daily to monitor his blood pressure and blood volume. After 3 days in the hospital, he's very thankful to be home. We're very grateful that his heart and brain "look fabulous for someone 80 years old" and in the case of his brain, better than 92% of most Americans as the doctor put it (where he pulled that statistic from, I have no idea). We just have to find the cause of the bleeding.
On top of that both the kids and I had the flu over the weekend. And we have family coming for the weekend and the kids' Christmas program. The guest room has a giant pile of 'stuff' waiting to be put away elsewhere in it - and that's where they're supposed to sleep.
When I came in to work on Monday I had no idea if I'd need to fly across the country to be with my Dad. My department chair and the other faculty teaching the same class I am have been great. And I spent Monday and Tuesday getting all my ducks in a row so anyone else in the department could walk in and teach my classes for me.
All of a sudden all the little things - the squabbles at church, the dust on the piano, the 5lbs I gained over Thanksgiving (when I had pneumonia and couldn't work out), the fact that our piano needs to be tuned again and that I can't get a follow-up appointment with the doctor about my pneumonia until January don't matter at all.
The things that are important became crystal clear (in no particular order here):
- Being with my Dad through this
- Praying for him and his care team
- Having space for my family to sleep this weekend - not necessarily having everything 'perfect' (they truly don't care and understand perfectly that I've been busy with more important stuff)
- Comforting my children in their concern about Grandpa
- Keeping the children's routine as normal as possible
- Spending time in the Word and with the Lord
Everything else is icing on the cake.
Sometimes I wonder how dense am I that God needs to use something this big to shuttle me into the right priorities.
And I'm amazed that He is willing to do that for my own good.
And that my attention and time is so important to Him.
Astounding.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Always.
Sunday evening I got a call from my Mom.
They had gone out to brunch after church with some friends after church. When Dad got up to pay the bill, he passed out - and ended up going to the hospital.
It turns out he is bleeding internally (quite a bit) and they don't really know why. It's not the usual culprits, so he has to have tests, tests and more tests.
Thankfully he's home now - supposedly resting and taking it easy - but he has to go in daily to monitor his blood pressure and blood volume. After 3 days in the hospital, he's very thankful to be home. We're very grateful that his heart and brain "look fabulous for someone 80 years old" and in the case of his brain, better than 92% of most Americans as the doctor put it (where he pulled that statistic from, I have no idea). We just have to find the cause of the bleeding.
On top of that both the kids and I had the flu over the weekend. And we have family coming for the weekend and the kids' Christmas program. The guest room has a giant pile of 'stuff' waiting to be put away elsewhere in it - and that's where they're supposed to sleep.
When I came in to work on Monday I had no idea if I'd need to fly across the country to be with my Dad. My department chair and the other faculty teaching the same class I am have been great. And I spent Monday and Tuesday getting all my ducks in a row so anyone else in the department could walk in and teach my classes for me.
All of a sudden all the little things - the squabbles at church, the dust on the piano, the 5lbs I gained over Thanksgiving (when I had pneumonia and couldn't work out), the fact that our piano needs to be tuned again and that I can't get a follow-up appointment with the doctor about my pneumonia until January don't matter at all.
The things that are important became crystal clear (in no particular order here):
- Being with my Dad through this
- Praying for him and his care team
- Having space for my family to sleep this weekend - not necessarily having everything 'perfect' (they truly don't care and understand perfectly that I've been busy with more important stuff)
- Comforting my children in their concern about Grandpa
- Keeping the children's routine as normal as possible
- Spending time in the Word and with the Lord
Everything else is icing on the cake.
Sometimes I wonder how dense am I that God needs to use something this big to shuttle me into the right priorities.
And I'm amazed that He is willing to do that for my own good.
And that my attention and time is so important to Him.
Astounding.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Always.
