Rinnah Gabriel

Six years ago I sat in a hospital bed. In the early morning hours, I delivered a tiny son in an early second trimester miscarriage. He was small and looked so fragile, I was afraid to pick him up. The nurses brought him to us in a little basket. My husband and I looked at him, taking our time. I wanted to remember him . . . we hadn't wanted to bring a camera so there would be no pictures, but I measured him with my hand. He measured about 6 and a quarter inches. He wasn't pretty . . . he had died a week earlier. But we loved and grieved for him. He was given a very special name, Rinnah Gabriel. A few days later he was buried at a local cemetery. Our pastor led a little service at the graveside and read these words:

"There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body."
(2 Corinthians 15:41-44)

We'll go to the cemetery today. We will see our son's grave, brush off leaves and dust and put in new artificial flowers. We'll look around and be saddened by the new graves that have been added in the special area called "The Baby Garden". I will marvel at the new flowers on the graves that date back to the early 70's. It will be sad, it always is, a little. But we will walk away with a mysterious hope.

Just Write

It turns out that despite the fact that my house is untidy most of the time, there is a streak of perfectionism in me. I've often wanted to post something, but didn't have the time (or want to take the time) to get it Just Right and if I had taken the time, still would have never gotten things like I wanted them. So today I'm jumping in, messy and disorganized, but here.

My toddler woke up today feeling very needy. She is usually cheerful in the morning but this morning she only wanted me to sit down with her. My first reaction was to think of the long, long list of things to be done today but I finally gave in. Who knows how long she's going want to do that? After surrendering my agenda, at least for that twenty or thirty minutes, I enjoyed spending time with her. She just wanted to be with me. She didn't even mind when I switched off Blue's Clues and turned on a documentary about the Queen of England.

It brought two important reminders for me. People should come before my list of things to do, certainly my children should. Relationships are primary. Jesus never shooed people away because He was busy doing something else.

My little girl only wanted to sit in my presence. Once I put myself aside, it was a great pleasure to spend those few quiet minutes with her. Is this a picture of how God feels when I want to be quiet and sit with Him? Not with a list of needs or complaints, but just a desire to be with Him?

An Introduction

My life is ordinary. I am married, have two precious (and precocious) little girls, and spend my days as a homemaker.

I love my family and enjoy the role of wife and mother. I don't hate housework but I am not very good at it and am easily overwhelmed. My dad was fond of telling me that I have the attention span of a cocker spaniel and I am afraid he was right.

I believe in God. I believe that everything He says about Himself in the Bible is true. He is not far away, but is present; a fact I would have said I understood, but didn't begin to until a few years ago. He teaches me, not only in His word, but in commonplace events. I have found that there are reminders of Him everywhere in this ordinary life.

I look forward to posting here, for the two or three or four of you who may come to read. (You know who you are).