It has been a long time since I was here writing.
Time got away on me, habits slipped and I lost enthusiasm. However, it has been on my heart and mind for a long time to return to my blog and just write and share what's going on or thoughts about things that I want to write about.
I started back in December to do a post about traditional Christmas decorations I was making but I couldn't upload photos for some reason and so I didn't complete the post.
It turned out to be an interesting and somewhat stressful summer for our family here in New Zealand. Not just that the weather was awful to start with and not that I didn't do a good job on my vegetable garden either. I did manage to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes and capsicums and all have given us a bountiful harvest. Plus there's plenty of weeds!
It started with our plans for the summer but God had other plans for us as a family.
We were all looking forward to our short little summer getaway to visit family. A holiday we all needed to rest and unwind and enjoy catching up with my husband's parents and sister.
We hadn't been there long when we ended up in the Emergency Department of the hospital with our youngest son. By the end of that day he was in surgery for Appendicitis. Despite it being a stressful and unusual day, as I waited in the visitors lounge late that night while our son was in surgery, I looked out the window. It was dark but the lights of surrounding buildings were lit up and my eyes were drawn to the steeple of a church behind. I stood there looking out, the only one in the room, as my husband had gone for a walk around the ward to stretch his weary legs and there were no other visitors. Patients were tucked up in their beds, except for the crazy guy who had been in a car accident and was rather loud and and disturbing. He kept walking around and around the ward and needed security guards with him. Thankfully after a time he settled down.
As I stood there looking out the window and gazing across at the church steeple, I prayed for my son and I felt peace. I knew he was going to be ok. 🙏
In every aspect of our lives we have to trust God. It is one thing for us to make plans, whether short term or long term plans and dreams that we have but we need to trust. We can't do things, especially difficult things, on our own strength.
That week away wasn't in our plans that's for sure but we had to decide how we were going to manage the rest of the week. Thankfully we were able to stay with my sister-in-law and family as we had to leave our accommodation. Although hectic, it gave us time with them all that we wouldn't have had otherwise. We made sure we took it in turns to take our older two sons out a couple of times so they had a break. My sister-in-law always finds a way to make us laugh and one evening we did toasting marshmallows and making smores. This really brightened the face of our youngest son.
We were just so thankful to God for all the details that worked out over this time. If this situation was going to happen then we were grateful it happened while in the city near a hospital and not in the more remote destinations that we were planning to go to. We had great hospital staff that cared for our son and I am pleased to say that he has recovered from the surgery really well.
Just as we thought it couldn't get any worse as we were trying to get home at the end of the week, it was like a scene out of a horrible family comedy movie where everything goes wrong and you don't know whether to laugh or cry.
I cried.
We nearly missed our flight because of a car accident on the motorway followed by my husband driving like a madman to get us to the airport via back roads following cars that were going too slow for our situation. We arrived within minutes of the flight closing. I cried all the way and prayed!
At last we were on the plane and I could relax.
But no. Long story short. The plane once it had left the terminal needed to travel back to the gate because the man sitting next to me. Yes, next to me. He was making a fuss and becoming angry and verbally aggressive to the air steward because he wouldn't turn his two phones off when he was asked. I sat there and stared straight ahead, thinking to myself, "Really, I can't believe this is happening!!"
In the end I burst into tears because the emotions of everything we had been through that week and the stress of getting to the airport just suddenly overflowed and the dam burst. The two air stewardess's were so lovely and they moved myself and my son to a different row. The man in question had to be removed from the plane and about half an hour later we could finally take off.
Yes we made it home!
I would like to say that the rest of summer was smooth sailing and relaxing and wonderful but I can't. There were pockets of lovely days and some intentional beach visits and family days out but the rest of summer was spent visiting doctors, specialists and having specialist x-rays after discovering that our youngest son, who had been through the surgery on holiday, had been diagnosed with scoliosis.
This was definitely a time of leaning into God and completely trusting him for the outcome of everything. Trying not to worry was hard as a mum. I knew that God had everything in hand but every day I had to keep coming to him in prayer and giving over to him all my worries and concerns and also my tiredness. Constantly meeting new people and appointments, driving all over the city, drains me. Wanting to share with friends and church family what was happening without sounding like I was whining was always on my mind. I didn't want people thinking I had a lack of faith when the opposite is true.
God has been so faithful through all of this. Everything could have turned out much worse than what it was and for that we are so incredibly grateful to God.
Pleased to say that so far we have been told that our son's scoliosis isn't as severe as we were first told and he doesn't need surgery or treatment. What has been recommended is various exercises which we can manage.
In recent weeks we have also had our two wee dogs sick, one with a health condition that we are dealing with but he will be ok.
There is more within what I am sharing that was stressful, such as dealing with health insurance, vet appointments and financial expenses and other things.
But God is good and faithful. We are all together. God has certainly still answered our prayers and provided for us as we have needed.
Timely scriptures that spoke straight into our situation gave us so much strength and hope. This time of seeking God has strengthened all our faith and we have all been reminded that we are not alone. God is always with us.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future". Jeremiah 29.11
Life can't all be a bed of roses. How would we grow in strength and character? How would our love and faith in God grow if we only had everything perfect all the time? We would believe the lie that we don't need Him when we do. Everyday.
I share this here today because firstly, I just wanted to write it all down. Secondly, I hope that it may help someone who comes across this who might be going through a tough time. You don't have to go through life alone and struggle.
Jesus loves you.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life". John 3:16
" Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight". Proverbs 3:5-6
I pray that for whoever is reading this will blessed and encouraged in some way by what I share. I pray you have a beautiful week.
Thank you for being here.
Love, Fiona 💝
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