Awake Again

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me." ~Psalm 3:5

The morning after my last post on this blog brought the unexpected....followed by more unexpected. Friday, November 11th, my grandfather was tragically killed in a car accident on the way to be honored at a Veteran's Day Ceremony. We were very close and although he lived 90 years of a great life, losing someone this way is horrifying. His only brother, my sweet Uncle Bobby, was also in the car; he was severely injured and died 10 days later. Shortly after returning from our travels from my grandfather's funeral, I was hospitalized with the final diagnoses of mono and viral meningitis. So for the past several weeks, I have literally lied down in grief and slept because of my illnesses. However, because the Lord sustains me, I am awake again! One day soon I will journal about the details of these events. Some "sequences of errors," if you will, have become quite comical to us in retrospect. Example: Our car wouldn't start in the hospital parking lot the day I was discharged. :-) 

For now, though~I choose to focus on how the Lord has sustained me. He's given me over 30 years with my grandfather who loved me like his own. He's given me time to grieve while continuing to heal my broken heart. He's given me laughter in the memories and precious time of fellowship with family and friends who loved my grandfather so dearly. He's given me safety while our family has traveled. He's given me a husband with immense medical knowledge to know why and when to take me to the ER (twice over the past few weeks!)....who has loved me for better or worse, in the good times and bad...my greatest friend, biggest life cheerleader, and the one who knows when to hold me and how to make me smile. He's given me a precious son who is incredibly loving and completely resilient. He's given me a mother who will drop everything to board a plane, sit with me in the hospital, and feed me when I could not sit up....and who I can now say is the absolute strongest woman I know. He's given me a mother-in-law who also dropped everything to board a plane to help in the recovery stages...and who loves me like her own. He's given me amazing friends from all over the country who have sent cards, emails, phone calls, texts, and gifts my way to help brighten my day. He has given me community here in DC, only living here 6 months...neighbors who have watched Judah, let us borrow their car, and offered to help in every way. He has given me a church body to pray for me, visit me in the hospital, organize meals for us, set up childcare for Judah, and overall exemplify Christ's love toward us. He has healed my body and given me a new perspective on what is important and necessary.
And because of that, my friends, I am awake! Ready to enjoy all of life's blessings....and even life's unexpected curve balls....for in those, we are made strong and in Christ, we are renewed. And finally, he's given me life...32 years of it exactly today! And one-third of it with an amazing partner! Tonight, Jeff and I will not only celebrate life, but 10 years since I said "YES" and accepted the most beautiful birthday gift on my left ring finger :-) And we'll be celebrating here, rooftop-style~looking over DC...

Thank you, Lord, for sustaining me!

It's time to awake and celebrate!