After 4 kids, I am becoming an expert at typing with one hand, cooking with one hand, and well, doing pretty much everything else with one hand, too.
One thing I am not good at is putting something on hold until I have a chance to get to it. Things like thoughts. I have trouble putting thoughts out of my mind and they tend to consume me if I'm not careful. I have so many thoughts running through my mind right now, besides the normal everyday ones. Sometimes I hear things and just want to go back and unhear them. I am learning to give these thoughts and feelings over to Jesus every day so that I can enjoy the gifts I have: family, friends, a wonderful church, an incredible husband who loves me and 4 beautiful, healthy children.
One of the things that is on my mind but I wish it weren't is a conversation I had with a woman the other evening. She is in her early 30's and very depressed. She is a Christian but has had a very difficult past. She was raped at the age of 3 and has had over 40 sexual partners in her life, one of which was a close family member. I'm sure our talk barely scratched the surface but I was left with a feeling of deep sadness for her. At least we were able to pray together and she left looking better than when she came. I'm still praying for a complete healing in her life and for healthy relationships for her.
Last week I heard about a young university student who gave birth about one month ago. It was her second baby; the first one was stillborn, or so the doctor told her, although she swears she heard her baby girl cry right after she was born. She was offered no explanation and no comfort.
Her second baby was thriving until she got a breast infection. She "longed after" something and didn't get it, so the superstition goes. She went to the hospital and the doctors scolded her for longing after something and then sliced open the side of her breast to "get the infection out". Now, she has no hope of nursing since the milk ducts and glands have probably been severed, not to mention the lingering infection and the immense pain she is feeling. I sent her some lanolin with a mutual friend, along with instructions on what to do from now on and my phone number. I hope she calls.
It's so sad that what we call a tragedy is just another day for some people. Lately I've been listening to Celine Dion's song, "A world to believe in". I look at my children and I feel such hope. Even though it may seem so at times, not everything is dark and evil.
Anyway, I was going to leave you with a link to the song I mentioned but I gotta run. Google it if you haven't heard it. It's a powerful song.
More to come. And I promise not to be so melancholy next time!
