Sunday, February 3, 2013

A scare and a grateful Nana...


The Hubs and only grandson stayed at the church this afternoon to join the youth's Superbowl party.
The rest of our houseful had other plans as well.
(Second born daughter and her family are staying with us for a couple more weeks before moving into their own place. 
 They are relocating back to the area after missionary training in South Carolina and spending five months in Ghana, West Africa.  
They are heading up short term projects in Ghana, like the Homabenase well project.  
Part of the team for the project arrived in Ghana yesterday, and next week the rest of the team goes.  
Your prayers, and donations, if you are so inclined, would be so appreciated.)
Anyway, Sunday afternoon, on my own with no agenda, stretched out ahead of me appealingly.
One of my favorite antique stores was having a special Superbowl Sunday sale, 
so I thought I'd pop in there and do a bit of looking around.
I hadn't even arrived there yet, when a disconcerting text came from my oldest daughter.
Almost four year old granddaughter,  
our little miracle girl that we prayed for for ten years while my daughter and son-in-law struggled through infertility and miscarriage after miscarriage, 
had stood up on a chair while they were packing stuff up after their church service and had fallen backwards, hitting her head on the cement floor.
My daughter asked us to pray.
She had her checked out by a nurse.
But still, it scared me.
It scared the desire to shop right out of me.
(Now that, my friends, is some kind of a scare!)
I was ready to rush her in for a CAT scan ASAP!
(Any other Nanas out there notice how things we brushed off nonchalantly with our children,
seem so much more serious when they happen to our grandchildren?)
But, all I could do was pray and pray and pray and pray,
because life, it's just so, so fragile.
My heart felt like it might burst with the loving my little blonde, blue eyed miracle girl.
I'm so, so grateful that she's ok.
Thank you, Jesus!
**************
In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.
In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,
just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.
And so I continue to count my thanks
piling up gratitude day by day
in my little black journal.
(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)
#2744-#2763-

1/28/13-
-feeling well enough to get out of bed after having the flu
-my son-in-law arriving from South Carolina before leaving for Ghana
-making shredded pork burritos for dinner, his favorite

1/29/13-
-lunch at my favorite Lebanese restaurant with my buddy
-a kind compliment from a stranger at the grocery store
-watching Downton Abbey with the Hubs


1/30/13-
-a good night's sleep for both the Hubs and I after some restless nights due to the flu
-making homemade mac and cheese for the family, (only grandson loved it!)


1/31/13-
-God's provision-what we need, when we need it
-haircut and color

-praying together at our prayer gathering

2/1/13-
-Friday date day-the Hub's and I having brunch together at a new place


-going to my old stomping grounds, the little town I grew up in,
 and taking some photos at the river there
-sharing an amazing sunset together

2/2/13-
-all the grand babies at our house for Saturday morning breakfast-crepes!

-nice enough weather for them to play outside
-in spite of a late start, a bit of procrastination, and generally not wanting to do it, getting my housework done, (with some much appreciated help from my grandson and the Hubs)

2/3/13-
-white tulips from the Hubs in my transfer ware pitcher


-a great morning of worship and the word at church
- granddaughter ok after a nasty fall 


Gratefully yours,

13 comments:

  1. Elizabeth, I so wish you were a friend in my "real world", because I feel like we have our hearts in the same place! I love this photo journal of blessings. The mac and cheese and crepes look to die for! I've never made crepes before. I love Ann's book and it has also changed my perspective of ups and downs in life. I didn't know that your granddaughter was a "miracle baby". This really hits home with me, and thank you for sharing that!!
    Your family is really changing pursuing the kingdom f God, that's awesome! SO much to say about this post...
    Blessings,
    Leslie
    ps. Cute pic of you at the salon! ;)

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  2. We got to know a few Ghanian families at our last church. They were connected with the Embassy here. Fabulous, faithful and prayerful!

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  3. I am so thankful your granddaughter is okay! I truly enjoy your gratitude each week.

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  4. Thankful all is well! Enjoy your day, sweet friend.

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  5. So thankful she's fine. I know that feeling about grandchildren. ;) Love the list this week.

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  6. Oh Elizabeth, so thankful your sweet little granddaughter is fine!! What a scare!!!
    Mary Alice

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  7. That is always so scary especially a head injury. So glad she was alright the angels protected her and all was well. A grandma wears her heart around those little ones, I know we have six and I pray and plead and pray more for their safety and protection always.
    take care

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  8. I'm thanking God with you for good news about your precious granddaughter. Yes, it's harder on Grandmas when our dear ones are in trouble than when it was our children. I think it's because we were on the front line and extremely involved and active when it was our young children. Grandmas usually have to wait for news - and pray. Hard! Don't you think that's what Grandmas are supposed to do, anyway?
    ~Adrienne~

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  9. we live and work in w. africa - and sometimes it is easy to think that if we were just somewhere else - no malaria, typhoid, dysentery, meningitis... but truly, our lives are in God's hands... as our the lives of our kids (and grandkids). and it is one thing to give assent to that - a totally different one to rest in it, 'specially when it involves someone you love.

    glad your girlie was ok! i call my grandmother nana!

    blessings!

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  10. What a beautiful blog. Nice to meet you, new friend.

    Be blessed always with splashes of serenity!
    Elaine

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  11. So glad you are recovered from the flu - and that your granddaughter is o.k! Your crepes look delicious! I'm still trying to figure out my grandmother name:) It's a challenge! Wishing you sweet blessings this week!

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  12. She's just precious, and I'm so grateful that she is OK. I loved when you said that it scared the shopping desire right out of you. I can relate to that feeling.

    Also glad to read that you are a flu survivor. Several in my family have had it (as yet, not I), and it is a doozie.

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  13. I'm Glad she's fine! our lives are in God's hands...

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