A Difficult Day

"Today was a Difficult Day," said Pooh.

There was a pause.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Piglet.

"No," said Pooh after a bit. "No, I don't think I do."

"That's okay," said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend.

"What are you doing?" asked Pooh.

"Nothing, really," said Piglet. "Only, I know what Difficult Days are like. I quite often don't feel like talking about it on my Difficult Days either.

"But goodness," continued Piglet, "Difficult Days are so much easier when you know you've got someone there for you. And I'll always be here for you, Pooh."

And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs...he thought that his best friend had never been more right."

A.A. Milne

Poor Maple fell almost 9 feet this morn by passing through the upstairs baluster, stepping off, and falling to the hard lower floor below.   Some days she seems very aware of the path from her room to the stairs, but this morn she obviously got confused. 

After hearing the loud plop and then her cries, we ran to help her and watched her closely.  She walked away and meandered around the kitchen.  It didn’t appear she was injured but she sure may be sore later today and tomorrow. 

My heart breaks for her darkness and confusion. 

She and I celebrated her 16th birthday on Thursday. I didn’t imagine in January she’d make it this far into the year. She gave me grave concern then she was near the end of her life.  Once she overcame the allergic reaction she experienced from the prescribed transdermal gel pen for her hyperactive thyroid, she leveled off and recovered well!  The loss of her vision has been her greatest difficulty to adjust to. 

She’s resting soundly now. 

I just poked my head into her room to check on her.  

She continued to sleep. 

I leaned over and kissed her forehead, and surprisingly, she continued to sleep; the rhythmic breathing movement of her lungs continued.  I’m guessing today’s fall really wore her out. 

I pray we rebound quickly: we’ve both had a difficult day!! 

Dear Eula

A Liturgy 

Upon Feeling a Stab of Grief

Let me learn, pang-by-pang,

O Lord, how these hurts-

while they will never in this life

completely cease-might serve like stitchings,

binding me ever tighter to eternal hope. 

Douglas Kaine McKelvey

Every Moment Holy

Volume II

Death, Grief, and Hope

Letting gos are sore trials. 

Even under the good and best of circumstances, 

losing to gain is hard. 

Who is ever ready to welcome departure and loss? 

I personally struggle to release a tight grip from His very good gifts.

Mawmaw’s dear roommate, Eula, was a very good gift. 

She was the sweeetest of blessings when she came to live at Dolphin Point. 

Mawmaw anxiously dreaded learning to live with a stranger. 

All we knew to do was pray! 

We humbly asked the LORD to help her, 

to help us trust He would give her peace and comfort for the change. 

When they met, they immediately enjoyed the sweetest fellowship!

We were all amazed by God’s gracious giving!                       Why do we fear and doubt?  

Why do we question His goodness? 

He knew their needs, and He so perfectly suited them for one another!!  

The LORD gave to us all His peace!  

Our greatest joy was to learn Eula knew Jesus!  

She trusted Him for her days! 

She was happy to join Mawmaw for Mark’s visits each day as they both listened to him read the Bible and pray.  

Some of Mawmaw’s sweetest memories with Eula were in the evening, as they sat together and watched the sun set over the St. Johns River, just outside their window. 

What a blessing it was that Mawmaw and Eula could fellowship and share their faith in Jesus. 

They sincerely cared for one another. Eula certainly encouraged Mawmaw’s faith.  

Two weeks ago, Eula left during the night. 

Their days together were fewer than we desired. 

Mawmaw misses her very much!  

We all do! 

I miss her bright eyes and kind words of encouragement. 

We all miss her faith to endure her struggles. 

For the short time we knew you, Eula, 

we’re thankful!

We look forward to that great reunion!  

“What a Day That Will Be” 

when our Jesus we will see and worship together, 

for eternity! 

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/jacksonville-fl/eula-lowe-10701321

Grandmama’s Heart

 

You are very, very special;

There is no one just like you!

God made you just the way you are,

When He specially thought of you.

He wanted so many children,

And not one to be the same,

So that you could be a special you,

With a very special name. 

Then to every SPECIAL little girl,

And every SPECIAL little boy,

God has given a SPECIAL HEART

To put His love in to enjoy. 

Marjorie Ainsborough Decker

Christian Mother Goose

Rock-A-Bye Bible

Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things. 

Isaiah 44:24

This year holds A LOT to ponder and pray about!  The LORD has added two babies to our family.  They have captured our hearts!  Katherine and Luke are expecting their first baby in July, and Mark Stephen and Caroline are expecting their second baby in September.  

We are OVER JOYED to consider the magnitude of God’s gracious giving of life, His sustaining grace, and steadfast love!  

We can hardly contain the love we have for each growing image bearer, and the anticipation we have for knowing the LORD is fulfilling His purpose in our lives and family for adding their uniquely individual presence! 

Our grown children cannot imagine how HUGE this desire has been for us since their own births, this long awaited hope that we would one day see our children’s children.  We hope and pray they’ll one day experience the same!! 

We are still learning how GREAT God’s love, and wide his mercy from one generation to another.  We pray our children will comprehend sooner than later the privilege they have, that we have, to participate with Him to tell another generation about His Son, Jesus, Our Savior! 

So even to old age and gray hairs, 

O God, do not forsake me, 

until I proclaim your might to another generation, 

your power to all those who come.

Psalm 71:18 

Father, May it be so!! 

The Weight a Mother Bears

 

You bear them yet, this progeny,
     These little ones you bore.  
And, oh, how changed your mothering 
     Since you were twenty-four.

You once were carried on the wings
     Of hope and expectations,
And now you carry in your soul
     The weight of generations.

But you have learned whose back can bear
     The heaviness of years,
And I have seen you load his back, 
     And soak his robes with tears.

No mother ever touched his robe
     And met disdain or jest;
And heavy generations yet
     Will rise and call you bless’d.

By John Piper, for his wife, Noel, on Mother’s Day, May 2009. 

Photo: Holy Land Experience, Fall 2001

God’s Wonderful World

 

Nobody swats at ladybugs

or kills them with a spray.

They are our friends; they help us out. 

We won’t send them away. 

The ladybug is popular, 

does not annoy or sting.

She helps the farmers with their crops,

eats every pesty thing. 

If you do not annoy or tease,

are helpful, kind and true,

you’ll be like the ladybug, 

folks will like you, too! 

Words by Matilda Nordvedt,

Children’s book:  

Ladybugs, Bees, & Butterfly Trees

Yesterday, Caroline and Felicity asked me to join them for a drive to a local plant nursery.  While we were there we found a ladybug 🐞!!  I wished I could’ve recited the ladybug poem from this book, but I couldn’t remember it! 

I came home and pulled out the book to refresh my memory…  

This book was one of my favorite devotional resources when our children were young.  What a delight it was to direct their hearts to the LORD’s creative works and wonders of our world, which then prompted many enjoyable conversations. 

I hope to begin opening it more again when our grandchildren and friends come to visit. 

“And just as you want men to treat you, treat them the same way.”

Luke 6:31

Questions:

1.  Why do people swat at insects?

2.  Why do they like ladybugs?

3.  How can you help people to like you? 

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, help me to be helpful like the ladybug and to not tease and annoy those around me.