Gratitude Friday...

Welcome to the Gratitude Friday post that should have been LAST Friday.  

But we had family in town and I was soaking up having them around.  We don't see them enough.  Period.

Also, I should add that I spent TWO HOURS in Target last Thursday.  BY.  MY.  SELF.

I can't even remember the last time we went to Target.  One, it's now more than three minutes from our house.  And two, as with 99.8% of people who go into Target, I come out having spent $2,469 more than I intended to spend.  Seriously.  I need milk.  I leave with new rugs, a tank top, a pound of bacon, a picture frame AND milk.

Listen.  Target is just that good.  And those two hours?  Felt like ten minutes.

I love when family comes to town.  

Thank you, family.  Target thanks you too.

Okay, so moving on to important things.  Like ruptured uteruses.  

Y'all know Rhys literally busted his way into the world by kicking through my uterus.  Y'all also know I tend to over think past events on major anniversary dates.  Like say, my children's birthdays.  

Here's the thing:  God told the Israelites about 9 bazillion times to remember the past.  Tell the stories to  your children.  Don't let a generation grow up and not know all the things God did for you.  

Only they did.  Because they were human.  

So are we.  And we tend to be just as forgetful.  In fact, we praise people for their ability move on. Catchy sayings like "You can't write a new chapter if you keep rereading the last one" are all over the place.  Our culture values our ability to use up, tear down and start over.  Sometimes we move on so quickly towards the future, we don't give God a chance to teach us anything about the now.  Much less about the past.  

Who wants to think about the past?  No one lives there.  It's just memories and dust and things that can never be again.

Only NOT.

Because God can and will continue to teach.  He gives fresh revelation.  A new perspective.  We simply have to slow down, take the time to reflect and ask Him for new lessons.

And so it is with Rhys' delivery.  

Back to that ruptured uterus.  

I was talking with God about the pain.  Because it was impressive.  Thinking through each step in the process.  How unbelievable I was able to sit still enough to get that epidural.  How awesome it was Jennifer answered the phone when I called her (since she had an 8 day old herself) and how beautiful her prayer for us was.  Even from 45 minutes away, we were "gathered" and the Father SHOWED UP.  How impossible it was for Rhys' heart rate to never change and my blood pressure to never increase.  Those two things should not have been and yet, GOD.  

The very first thought I had was how much pain I was in and yet, we were not in distress.  Because God was in control of the distress.

How so much like our journey through painful periods in our lives.  There will be pain (or as Paul says, "trouble") but we, as joint heirs with Christ, are never in distress.  We forget that.  We let the pain take over and blind us to God's protection.  Doesn't matter if the pain is physical or emotional or spiritual.  God is in control.  But we can only feel the pain.

What a beautiful picture of that protection and control we were able to witness (and good night, FEEL!) during Rhys' birth.  We can never, ever, not ever say we haven't witnessed a medical miracle. Not to mention all the miracles God orchestrated to lead us to that point.  He was always in control.  Always knew the outcome.  Always kept us safe.

What a comfort that is!

The second revelation God granted was about the nature of my son.  Bless him, he's as strong-willed as his sister.  Although, he does seem to be generally happier.  But when he's not happy, he's darn serious about being unhappy.  He is determined in all things.  Curious about everything he's not supposed to play with.  And incredibly manipulative because he knows a face full of kisses from him and I'll hand over those random things he's not supposed to play with.

Well, okay, not ALL the time.  But most of the time.

Y'all.  I'm not kidding.  That little guy OWNS me.

Anyway, as I was thinking about his determined and other-worldly focus, God reminded me how steady Rhys was during that delivery.  That kid, he never wavered.  He was steady and determined and other-worldly focused.  

He literally ripped his way into the world and it didn't bother him one bit.  

Didn't break a sweat.  Effortless.

I believe God granted me a glimpse into his nature.  It's hard to tell sometimes at the ripe old age of three, exactly how his personality will turn out.  Aubrey Kate was the happiest, most laid back child until two and a half.  She hasn't been happy since.

(Kidding.)

(Kinda.)

Who will Rhys be as he grows?  He's already learned so much about how to control his temper.  And we've already learned so much about the extent of his fearlessness just watching him take swimming lessons.  But I know he will be strong and steady and not easily prone to extreme reactions.  Hopefully, he will be more even-keeled (as, I swear, Chris says I am).  (No really.  He tells me that often.)

Without taking the time to think back through that day, those experiences of the past, without stopping and asking God for His lessons, I would have missed all that.  What a shame!  Those are lessons and revelations I will cling to from now on.  Whatever we will face in the future, God is in control and His protection and goodness cannot be questioned.  No matter the pain.

Thank you, Father.

Ask God for a fresh perspective on your greatest pain.  And prepare to be amazed.