Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Survival

Survival is the theme of the day. I survived an hour long bus trip with really loud third graders. I survived a day of the Field Museum, and NO TEARS! YAY MOM! Kaden is such a wonderful son, and I offered prayers of praise all day as I watched him in wonder. I have so much to be thankful for.

Nate needs your prayers too. He is such a wonderful husband and father, and he is a wonderful pastor too. He is taking me to the airport tomorrow and will be "single" dad yet again for an undetermined amount of days. He has never complained. In fact, he just says, go be with your dad...stay as long as you need. While I know he means it, I also recognize single parenting isn't the easiest. So please offer some special prayers up for his survival over the next few days.

Everyone grieves differently. Survival is a good goal to aim for when you are in the depths of deep grieving. I recognize that there is more to living than surviving, but sometimes there is a great sense of accomplishment in the mere survival of another day.

Surving grief would be easier with a Grieving Button. I just wish I had a 30 second button for yucky life stuff like we do on our new remote. You hit it and it fast forwards through a whole commercial with just one push of a button. Commercials are the necessary evils of GREAT TV. I think the grieving process is a necessary evil of a GREAT LIFE. When someone has lived a GREAT LIFE, you have to honor it with grieving. When you desire to live a GREAT LIFE after someone you love has gone to heaven you have to get through the grieving stage. God is so good, I just wish he could give us a Grieving Button. Push it, your done. You remember your loved one with smiles, laughter and deep love, but you are able to LIVE really LIVE as an honor to who they were to you.

Well, since we didn't get the button, Dad and I are going to do this together the long, hard way. Anyway, I'm off to SC tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. Please pray for safe travel, and for healthy, happy boys in Illinois!

2 comments:

  1. Rachelle: I look forward to reading your blog. So much of what you say reminds me so much of your Mom. She enjoyed life to fullest. We are blessed that we had her in our lives. I will be doing the normal things that I have to do at home and suddenly I will be thinking of you and Dad. I know that you miss Mom so much. I know that Dad adored her. So, when I am sad for myself, I remember that your loss is greater than mine and I pray for you. Don't think that we have forgotten about you. You are in our thoughts and prayers daily. Today I was cleaning out a basket where I had books stored. I found a bible/bible study that I have had for several years. It is called Daily Bible study for Women. The bible studies are done by Jill Briscoe, she and her husband are pastors at large at Jana's church in Brookfield, WI. Inside was a piece of paper that Norm had given me several years ago when I was struggling. Remember? It came from Nate and his bible study group. He had given it to her and she had given it to me. Now I am returning it to you.

    "There is nothing-no circumstance, no trouble, no testing-that can ever touch me until, first of all it has gone past GOD and Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse to become panicky, as I lift my eyes up to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of GOD for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is. That is the rest of final victory." Sweetheart, Mom is resting in that final victory. We need to follow her example and try to be the kind of women that she would want us to be. Love you. SG

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  2. Well, I hope by now you are actually in South Carolina with your daddy. I'm not sure what your weather is like, but I'm hoping it is a sunny blue sky and it gives you a little piece of warmth deep down inside. I'm sorry that you don't have your button...although it is a very good idea. When crap happens it is so hard to receive the endless platitudes, even though you know they are given with such sincerity and love. When authors write about "time healing all wounds", you know that it's the truth as well, but you can never be prepared for how hard it's going to be to move through it. It's like moving through molasses. I know when I feel so overwhelmed I just want someone to come and fix it. I don't want to talk, I don't want to ask, I just want someone to take care of it. I wish you some moments of respite Rachelle. Love, sara

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