Just something I want to remember...

My sister is pregnant, and having a baby soon. Today, we had a baby shower for her. This morning, when I was getting ready to go, Charlie asked Shane "will Aunty Lizzie keep her clothes on when she has a shower?" Shane, confused asked "what do you mean" and Charlie replied "when she has the baby shower with the ladies, will she keep her clothes on in the shower?"

That boy does make us laugh!

Beautiful brokenness

So, I have found much of 2016 hard. Christmas was looking to be so great, but it kinda went a little pear-shaped. On Christmas Eve, Shane was painting the outside of the house, standing up on a trestle, when he lost his balance and came off it backwards. That was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, racing outside to find him lying on the ground covered in paint while he screamed in pain. Fortunately, my sister Cathy was home with us helping Shane paint, so she quickly took charge of the kids and I called an ambulance. Those few hours when we didn't know what had happened, how bad the damage was, were pretty awful. 

But we were very blessed in how prompt his assistance was, how many people were around to help, and the fact that he was discharged and home again that night. It took us a little while to find out what exactly his damage was. He needed more scans a week or so later. But finally we were told he fractured a vertebrae in his back. However it was so much better than it could have been, and we are so very grateful for that.  Suffice to say though, that Christmas was rather stressful for us this year. I don't think I've ever been so glad to see the back of it. 

He was flat on his back for a couple of weeks afterwards, (which was really hard for him) but he was able to go back to work, and he is slowly healing. Much slower than he would like, but still, I can't be ungrateful for this, when at the time we had no idea how badly he might have damaged himself.

However, this last month has been a bit of a challenge. We did celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary, which was great! Especially because we weren't sure if he would be well enough for it. My mum looked after the kids for two whole nights while we went away for a trip to the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and it was beyond lovely. It was so nice to just be us, especially in such a beautiful location. 

I have a little boy who has just had his first day of kindy this week, and it went pretty well for him, no tears at drop off, and according to the staff he went really well, but there plenty of tears when I picked him up. I think he was just so relieved to see me, and so glad it was over. He doesn't want to go back, but he knows he has to. I'm really hoping he copes ok with three days next week! 

And my girl, my Georgie-girl who I started this blog for, is going to school tomorrow. I am so glad, but I really hope that this new world is good for her, and is a wonderful adventure.

So, yeah it's been all happening here. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad. Parts of it have been good. But I am a little bit stressed. We all know how well I cope with change. (Ha!) Mostly I am looking forward to settling into a new routine, and I know I will be much, much better when everything settles down into the new normal. 

You know how sometimes, you just stop and take a moment and you just try to just make sense of stuff? I had one of those just before while doing the dishes. I had a bit of reconnection with God, and there was a song playing on the radio talking about how he makes the broken things beautiful. And I think it just clicked. 

Sometimes it's really easy to just look at everything through my own eyes. To look at life and things that have happened the way the world does. It can be hard to make much sense of things when we examine them from our point of view. But there is so much more going on than I can comprehend. God is always, always sovereign. He is always underneath every surface, working at every situation. We are not lost, or alone, or ugly. Regardless of our struggles, our failures, and our flaws. Our hurt, and anger and pain. He works in all things, and he sees what we don't. He makes the broken beautiful.

'Cause I am a sinner

If it's not one thing it's another

Caught up in words

Tangled in lies

But you are a Saviour

And you take brokenness aside

And make it beautiful.

Beautiful.

(C) All Sons and Daughters, 2012.