You may remember my previous post in which I mention that we are shooting some metaphorical rapids. That has since been changed. We are now, metaphorically speaking, in the middle of one of the Great Lakes in a little canoe as a major thunderstorm rolls over the horizon. Did I mention that the canoe is aluminum?
I'd carry the metaphor further and say that no one knows where we are, we have no way to communicate with anyone, and a shark just ate our paddles. But I have been told that there are no sharks in the Great Lakes(I'm not exactly sure about that), so that part doesn't work. Neither does the rest of that ring true either. In the midst of our extremely trying week, we have been surrounded and supported by prayer and concern. We've been given lots of hugs, my parents have jumped in with emergency babysitting, and our close friends are supporting us however possible. Although this time is trying, we know that eventually this storm will pass too. And although we may not be able to see the shore, we are confident(at times) that God does.
Several weeks ago, we booked a meeting for last night. Steve's big boss invited us and several others over for a barbeque and work meeting. Yesterday Steve's dad invited us to an emergency family meeting that conflicted with the work meeting. We chose to attend the work barbeque, get a babysitter and then come late to the family gathering. It was a good choice!
Steve and I have been carrying around a lot of stress this week. We are both emotionally overwhelmed. Last night we were hugged, supported and encouraged. We weren't the main focus, we didn't even go into details about what's going on, but our friends and coworkers made very certain that we knew they cared for us. The gathering took place on a huge deck surrounded by ferns and forest. My soul drank in the greenness like a big glass of water. My body enjoyed a nice glass of red wine. The conversation was by turns amusing and deep, with many different eddies. I enjoyed sitting next to an honourary niece, even though she wasn't feeling well. The food was spectacular. I think I could write an entire post just about the food. Over a two hour period, my stress drained away as my self simply sat and luxuriated. Even the potatoes(cooked with rosemary and sea salt and then dipped in sour cream) were a delight to my senses. And the couscous! Words fail to describe the wonder the couscous brought to my tastebuds! Needless to say, we left in a better frame of mind than when we arrived.
God knew in advance what this week would bring. He knew the very heavy burdens our family would be carrying. So, in His goodness, He arranged for us to have an oasis of peace and rest. It was brief, but enough. We emerged with enough strength to keep on going through to the next meeting. Today we have hope. We mourn right now, but not as people who do not have hope. Mourning may last for the night, but joy WILL come in the morning.
If you pray, please keep our family in your prayers!
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