It has been a really rough stretch this past week. My boys (and I) have been sick. We spent several days in the hospital here with our little one last week. I have slept very little over the past 7 or 8 days.
I am tired. I have two little guys under 5 who alternate having sleep issues and are filled with crazy levels of energy. I have moved twice in the last 2 years--one being to the opposite side of the globe. I don't really remember not being tired. But, I also don't think I've been quite this tired in quite awhile. When I get tired, it is easy for me to focus on all that is or has been wrong. Let's be honest, I'm a bit of pessimist by default, so even when I'm not tired, it's easy for me to see life in a less than flattering light. I have written before about Ann Voskamp and her Joy Dare challenges to be intentional about counting the gifts and even used this blog as my means of recording those for some time. God used that to really reshape my heart and mind, by His grace, to live more tuned into His gifts and cultivating a heart of gratitude. It is still a struggle and takes a lot of discipline from me and a lot of grace from Him.
I have a lot of thoughts to process from the last week, but I decided that this is a perfect opportunity for me to be intentional about counting the gifts, both for my own sake but also so that I can share of His goodness and share the blessings before I dump out all my thoughts and fears about the challenges here. I have had a post running around in my mind about this place truly becoming home to me, and I don't want to cloud that with laying out a whole list of the hard things from the last week. So, before any other thoughts or details from our experiences the last week, I shall count the GIFTS!
* It was a Tuesday night that Ezekiel's bad croup symptoms hit. To make this make sense, there is a clinic at Patan Hospital every Wednesday morning at which two British doctors have set aside time just to see expats and help them. It is the easiest and best possible scenario, in my mind, for our medical needs...and it hit exactly when I most needed it! These two doctors and the nurse that works at it were an invaluable help to me and so very kind! One of these doctors has worked in that hospital for many years, is a tremendous physician, and interacts with the hospital system with grace and ease. She is the one who diagnosed what Ezekiel had and what he needed, and the two of them proceeded to escort me to the emergency room, get me settled there, and then came to check on me several times each in the hours I was there, even after their hours were over for the clinic!
* Expat community here that looks out for each other. I am constantly amazed and grateful for the amazing people I meet who have come here from so many places around the world. Particularly on this side of the city, we have experienced a real sense of community among the expats. It's like a group of soldiers in the trenches together. We all know that there are challenges unique to being in a foreign land away from family and friends and things that are familiar. I have received an invaluable amount of support and advice from people who have been here longer or learned things that I am eager to learn about being here. This time was no exception. There was a woman and her daughter in the clinic when we went in that Wednesday morning. She is someone we attend a fellowship with and helped direct me to a prayer group of moms with little ones when we were here the first time, but she isn't someone we know well. One of the doctors told me that this woman had called back to the clinic later to check and see how I was doing with Zeke and said she could come back and be with me, if I needed someone! Plus, my moms' prayer group here, who have become dear friends, were checking in on me and offering help and prayed for us.
* My friend Laurel. Laurel's husband Mark is the CEO of the company we work for here. We both live within a few minutes of the office, so I see her most days during the week. She has two little ones of her own at home, both of whom have had colds, but she kept Isaiah at her home Wednesday afternoon, and he felt happy and enjoyed the afternoon, which was a huge blessing at the last-minute so that he had somewhere he could be and not feel anxious! Then, she made dinner for us that evening and checked on us multiple times throughout our time, offering help with whatever we needed. Mark came over to the house that evening once I put Isaiah to bed so that I could go back to the hospital and trade places with John for the night. Friday morning, Laurel brought breakfast to me at the hospital and spent the morning there with me. And, last night in the midst of a super full day for her, she brought over an apple pie for us!
* Steve and Becky Thorson. I seriously cannot even begin to express the gift that they are to us and especially that they were in this experience! They are American but have lived here in Nepal for nearly 30 years. Steve is a brilliant pediatrician who has worked at Patan Hospital for years in various capacities. They came to check on us the first night (in spite of Steve literally getting hit on his leg by a bus that day!), brought us homemade cookies and pillows and blankets (since they aren't provided by the hospital), and Steve examined Ezekiel and really made things happen that we needed medically throughout the time we were there. His expertise and his stature with the staff at the hospital meant that we really got what we needed for Ezekiel and put our minds at ease so many times.
* The office administrator at our business has become a friend of ours, and we are really thankful for her and for the opportunity to keep getting to know her. She surprised me Friday morning by coming to the hospital with her husband to visit Ezekiel and me. It meant so much to me!
* The most obvious gift, perhaps, is that my little Ezekiel is fine now! He has some cold symptoms, but he is breathing well and happy as a clam again!
* Isaiah's run with seemingly the same virus did not result in as serious of a situation, and we never had to take him in to the clinic or hospital.
* John and I were able to make it through the sleep deprivation and at least take care of what was necessary, and our turn with the virus waited until the boys were mostly recovered.
* Our home and family. I was so eager to get home from the hospital and to have our family together again in our home. I am so thankful to not just have a house here but truly a place that feels like a home. I'm also so very thankful that I have a husband and two kids that I love and want to be with!
* We have the resources to get the medical care we need. The total bills seem so small to us compared to what we would pay in the States, but I know that it would be too much for so many people. I am so thankful for the provision we have and that it isn't a factor that causes worry or impacts our decisions about getting the care we need for our kids.
* We have family and friends around the world who love us and pray for us. The notes of encouragement and confirmed prayers are an absolutely amazing gift.
I am sure I am missing some in my current fog. There have been so many gifts and such huge ones in this experience. I'll save the challenges for another day and another post. I choose today to focus on the gifts!
I am tired. I have two little guys under 5 who alternate having sleep issues and are filled with crazy levels of energy. I have moved twice in the last 2 years--one being to the opposite side of the globe. I don't really remember not being tired. But, I also don't think I've been quite this tired in quite awhile. When I get tired, it is easy for me to focus on all that is or has been wrong. Let's be honest, I'm a bit of pessimist by default, so even when I'm not tired, it's easy for me to see life in a less than flattering light. I have written before about Ann Voskamp and her Joy Dare challenges to be intentional about counting the gifts and even used this blog as my means of recording those for some time. God used that to really reshape my heart and mind, by His grace, to live more tuned into His gifts and cultivating a heart of gratitude. It is still a struggle and takes a lot of discipline from me and a lot of grace from Him.
I have a lot of thoughts to process from the last week, but I decided that this is a perfect opportunity for me to be intentional about counting the gifts, both for my own sake but also so that I can share of His goodness and share the blessings before I dump out all my thoughts and fears about the challenges here. I have had a post running around in my mind about this place truly becoming home to me, and I don't want to cloud that with laying out a whole list of the hard things from the last week. So, before any other thoughts or details from our experiences the last week, I shall count the GIFTS!
* It was a Tuesday night that Ezekiel's bad croup symptoms hit. To make this make sense, there is a clinic at Patan Hospital every Wednesday morning at which two British doctors have set aside time just to see expats and help them. It is the easiest and best possible scenario, in my mind, for our medical needs...and it hit exactly when I most needed it! These two doctors and the nurse that works at it were an invaluable help to me and so very kind! One of these doctors has worked in that hospital for many years, is a tremendous physician, and interacts with the hospital system with grace and ease. She is the one who diagnosed what Ezekiel had and what he needed, and the two of them proceeded to escort me to the emergency room, get me settled there, and then came to check on me several times each in the hours I was there, even after their hours were over for the clinic!
* Expat community here that looks out for each other. I am constantly amazed and grateful for the amazing people I meet who have come here from so many places around the world. Particularly on this side of the city, we have experienced a real sense of community among the expats. It's like a group of soldiers in the trenches together. We all know that there are challenges unique to being in a foreign land away from family and friends and things that are familiar. I have received an invaluable amount of support and advice from people who have been here longer or learned things that I am eager to learn about being here. This time was no exception. There was a woman and her daughter in the clinic when we went in that Wednesday morning. She is someone we attend a fellowship with and helped direct me to a prayer group of moms with little ones when we were here the first time, but she isn't someone we know well. One of the doctors told me that this woman had called back to the clinic later to check and see how I was doing with Zeke and said she could come back and be with me, if I needed someone! Plus, my moms' prayer group here, who have become dear friends, were checking in on me and offering help and prayed for us.
* My friend Laurel. Laurel's husband Mark is the CEO of the company we work for here. We both live within a few minutes of the office, so I see her most days during the week. She has two little ones of her own at home, both of whom have had colds, but she kept Isaiah at her home Wednesday afternoon, and he felt happy and enjoyed the afternoon, which was a huge blessing at the last-minute so that he had somewhere he could be and not feel anxious! Then, she made dinner for us that evening and checked on us multiple times throughout our time, offering help with whatever we needed. Mark came over to the house that evening once I put Isaiah to bed so that I could go back to the hospital and trade places with John for the night. Friday morning, Laurel brought breakfast to me at the hospital and spent the morning there with me. And, last night in the midst of a super full day for her, she brought over an apple pie for us!
* Steve and Becky Thorson. I seriously cannot even begin to express the gift that they are to us and especially that they were in this experience! They are American but have lived here in Nepal for nearly 30 years. Steve is a brilliant pediatrician who has worked at Patan Hospital for years in various capacities. They came to check on us the first night (in spite of Steve literally getting hit on his leg by a bus that day!), brought us homemade cookies and pillows and blankets (since they aren't provided by the hospital), and Steve examined Ezekiel and really made things happen that we needed medically throughout the time we were there. His expertise and his stature with the staff at the hospital meant that we really got what we needed for Ezekiel and put our minds at ease so many times.
* The office administrator at our business has become a friend of ours, and we are really thankful for her and for the opportunity to keep getting to know her. She surprised me Friday morning by coming to the hospital with her husband to visit Ezekiel and me. It meant so much to me!
* The most obvious gift, perhaps, is that my little Ezekiel is fine now! He has some cold symptoms, but he is breathing well and happy as a clam again!
* Isaiah's run with seemingly the same virus did not result in as serious of a situation, and we never had to take him in to the clinic or hospital.
* John and I were able to make it through the sleep deprivation and at least take care of what was necessary, and our turn with the virus waited until the boys were mostly recovered.
* Our home and family. I was so eager to get home from the hospital and to have our family together again in our home. I am so thankful to not just have a house here but truly a place that feels like a home. I'm also so very thankful that I have a husband and two kids that I love and want to be with!
* We have the resources to get the medical care we need. The total bills seem so small to us compared to what we would pay in the States, but I know that it would be too much for so many people. I am so thankful for the provision we have and that it isn't a factor that causes worry or impacts our decisions about getting the care we need for our kids.
* We have family and friends around the world who love us and pray for us. The notes of encouragement and confirmed prayers are an absolutely amazing gift.
I am sure I am missing some in my current fog. There have been so many gifts and such huge ones in this experience. I'll save the challenges for another day and another post. I choose today to focus on the gifts!
2 comments:
You're pretty amazing. I think we are very similar in our outlook on life. I wish I had learned these lessons while I was there, it would have made things so much easier to make the choice to see the gifts instead of focusing on the frustrations. You make me miss the community there. There were so many times that I missed my friends from back here in the states while we were there, only to get back here and realize how ridiculously amazing our friends/community was there. Soldiers in the trenches is a good description. There are so many days when I wish I was back there in the trenches, and yet God has us here. Lots of cool stuff going on here, lots of ministry opportunities that are totally unexpected and we would NOT be up for except for our experience in Nepal! Anyways. Miss you guys. And we're proud of you!
Today my heart is thankful for so many things, but today I am thankful for my daughter.
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