29 April 2020

I’ve been struggling lately due to the inability to visit anyone, especially family. I have generally not been able to do this due to living in another state for the last 6 years, away from most of them, but now we are all back together, but still no visits. Stupid virus!

Yes, being isolated and this social distancing is difficult for everyone, but my son and his wife, Brigette just had a little baby girl named Abigail Jordan, and no one other than Joel (her designated visitor – as they called him) could visit.

I totally understand. The fewer visitors at the hospital, the less risk of passing on the dreaded virus unknowingly. During early labor Joel could only be there during the designated visiting hours unless she was in the birthing suite, ready to give birth. Due to the virus, he was asked many questions when he arrived at the hospital, had his temperature taken, and handwashing procedures were done before the visit could occur.

After the birth, we were all prepared to FaceTime everyone the next day when she was home. She has three other little children at home. Freddie who is 5, Mackenzie who is 3, and Emmett who is 2. But the birth did not go as we had all planned. Brigette did amazingly, but lost too much blood and needed extra care herself, so needed to stay in longer.

Then Abigail’s temperature was going up so after some blood tests they started an antibiotic drip for twenty-four hours. The next day the baby’s jaundice was getting worse so needed to be under the lights for another 24 hours. The one day extended into 4 days.

All perfectly normal for many mothers after birth. But try explaining that to a little 2-year-old boy who sobbed every day after the first day, “Mummy!” You know with that hiccup sob that makes you feel miserable for him but can do nothing about. How do I know this, we FaceTimed the 3 children at home with Dad.

Even the eldest son Freddie wiped a tear from his eyes at the end of the conversation. My son Joel tried to console Emmett with a hug and ‘hey buddy, Mum and the baby will be home soon.’

I started to well up with tears in my eyes. They were too young to fully understand the reasons why no visits were allowed, why no hugs, no kisses, etc. why no mum or baby home.

Things happen in our lives that we don’t fully understand. Maybe we are like Emmett who just wants Mum but does not understand the repercussions of safety for everyone – for Mum, baby, and the ones at home because of the Coronavirus.

I felt that Jesus would have been hugging Emmett a few days ago. Emmett was inconsolable. He did not understand. Jesus would have wept. He loves Emmett. He loves all of us.

Jesus understands all of the places we are in at the moment. That for some, isolation, for some of us unemployment, for some of us scrambling to make ends meet, to try and plan for our future needs. What is our future? Some of us are visiting sick ones in hospital, for others we are the sick ones. 

Some of us are like Emmett – inconsolable. Not understanding. Some of us are angry, frustrated and hurting. Wherever we are at, whoever we are, Jesus comes to us all, weeping, sad for our situations and wanting us to trust in Him.

Jesus can turn, change any situation. He can bring His glory to any situation. I need to hope in what Jesus can do. 

I love these quotes, “we are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us” and “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”

I don’t see the way out for the world other than a vaccine, but that appears a long way away and so many different opinions from scientists. But Jesus holds the future in His hands, and it is only good and will work out good for each of us.

So, after praying, stating I trust in Him, asking Jesus to come to console this little boy, I got this message, “things have turned the corner, we may be coming home.”

Within 12 hours everything was resolved, and the doctors were happy for all to go home. Oh, what joy on all the children’s faces when they were surprised with this news. I saw their faces via zoom when Mummy and baby walked through the door. It brought a smile to my face, another type of tear to my eye. Oh, what joy in my heart.

I then felt to pray again, ‘Lord I’ll stay in isolation longer, I’ll put up with it as long as it takes, I’ll take some of that loneliness, that pain so that others, younger, not understanding how things are, or why, that they are can be relieved of pain, of sadness.

O Lord be merciful to the world. Stop the virus in its tracks. May your glory be revealed into people’s lives. May you be glorified!

Where do you need to hope in God more? Right now, where your life is at, where are you in relation to this virus?

Where could you sacrifice yourself for someone else, if you can?

Where could you offer up something to God, so He alleviates someone else’s pain and struggle?

The Scripture, “no greater love is there to lay one’s life (where I am now) down for a friend” makes more practical sense to me, in that I could offer my little struggles to God knowing that someone else may be relieved of theirs.

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Where do you need to hope in God more?

Where could you sacrifice yourself for someone else, if you can?

Where could you offer up something to God, so He alleviates someone else’s pain and struggle?