Great Faithfulness

I was looking at the calendar the other morning when it dawned on me… I don’t remember the exact date. I just know it was around Mother’s Day 1994. When my glands first got huge and I felt sick and horrible. When Icame down with the glandular fever that began this extreme consciousness of health. Nineteen years ago. I was just thirteen.

It is not really the kind of anniversary one would care to throw a party for. Yet I cannot help reflecting on that line in the sand and everything since. And there is plenty to celebrate.

There is the obvious. The big achievements. Graduating high school, followed three years later by university. My first paid job. My first ‘proper’ job. Meeting my Prince Charming, marrying him – and now our two little princes. There is the moving around we have done with work. The eventual ending up here in this town; our first preference on a daunting list of possibilities. The finding ourselves living very close to schools, and shops, and church. The funds to send this one here or there…

But if I were to leave it at that, the story would be missing so much. So, so much. It would be erroneous of me not to tell you about the daily things. The little things that really are not. The getting up each day. The victory of open eyes, and finding the will power to get out of bed. The blessing of bursts of energy to get ready and go somewhere. The wonder of beauty products that give dignity to a pale face with dark circles under the eyes. The ‘oomph’ to accomplish housework – even if I am not able to do as much as I might like each day. The being a mother. Finding creative ways to spend precious time that my body can handle. The making it to the end of the day. And even the days when I just have to stay in bed; the husband whose job allows him to stay home occasionally and watch the little one so I can rest.

Faithfulness. Great is His faithfulness. It is the only way I have done all this. It is the only way I will go on doing all this.

Psalm 117 ¹ Praise the Lord, all you nations;
    extol him, all you peoples.
² For great is his love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord. (NIV)