God's Grace

In many ways the past 2 weeks have been rough. One child after another (after another) has managed to pick up some kind of bug. First Grace and Elizabeth caught a cold. By Friday (a week ago), Elizabeth developed an ear infection and was refusing to nurse. After 24 hours on antibiotics, she was slowly starting to nurse (and sleep) again... s.l.o.w.l.y. Grace started getting strange bumps on her feet... then her hands... then in her mouth. An internet visit (and mommy diagnosis) revealed Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. The sores in her mouth kept her from eating anything except bread AND kept her sleeping only 3 1/2 hours on Tuesday night... mommy slept about the same amount of time. Wednesday was a LONG day! Thursday morning we felt like we were turning a corner when Hannah woke up with a stomach ache and a low grade fever... no school for her and ANOTHER day of mommy entertaining all three girls in the house.

Yet, God's grace was sufficient. On Wednesday, at 5:30, I woke Daryl up not sure how I was going to make it through the day, yet every time I ask for God's grace to make it through a moment... it was there. We even got the Christmas Tree decorated and the bathrooms cleaned! On Friday, a sweet friend came up and stayed with the girls so I could FINALLY go shopping for groceries. Another friend sent me an email to encourage me. Another friend called and helped me remember that this (caring for the girls whether sick or well) IS my job and it IS important to God. God's grace in the form of friend. Yet this... this was God's grace from my little girl.

Daryl and I found this note on our bedside table on Thursday night. Can you read it? I had tears in my eyes when I saw it.

A final picture for this post. Hannah set one of our nativity scenes up in the window and one morning this is what we saw.

Thank God for His Grace coming to earth as a baby! The reality is... this world is full of sickness and disease. Although we try to make this season all fancy and perfect, it is because of brokenness that we needed Christ. Thank God that He knows what we need. Thank God for His Grace.