Time is flying by and Jonathan will be eight weeks old this Friday. I can’t believe how much he has grown in what seems like the blink of an eye for me. Every day I am noticing something new about our little man and falling more in love with the “mustard seed” that God has blessed us with. He is discovering something new in this world by the minute and likewise, he is teaching me something new every day.
This is Jonathan’s first full week in day care and the trauma of leaving him has seemed to lessen each day. The first day was rough for us...ok, probably more traumatic on me than him. He is the only baby in his room at child care that doesn’t cry, so I am sure he is a breath of fresh air. At the same time, it makes me worry that he is getting forgotten about since he isn’t causing a fuss. We are still searching for the perfect child care provider as we both feel that Jonathan deserves more attention than what he can get at a child care center. I have called over a dozen in home providers, but no one has seemed to “click” with me on the phone quite yet. I think when I talk to the right person; I will know it is right. In the mean time, he will stay where he is. My heart may break every time I drop him off, but I know in my heart he is in good hands.
Mother Goose predicted that Friday’s child is loving and giving. That is most certainly true. Jonathan has proved himself to love to others and most certainly loved by others. In the past month, my father has become seriously ill. On August 21, he went into the hospital because he was dehydrated. Two days later, I received a phone call that we “better get home” so we packed up the car and all of Jonathan’s stuff and made the 330 mile trek to Harvard. While home, Jonathan brought so much joy to so many people. My family also truly believes that Jonathan brought healing and hope to my father who had been unresponsive for a few days. While at his bedside, my dad woke up and was able to whisper “Jonathan.” We returned home to Des Moines a few days later, believing the doctors when they said Dad had stabilized. Two days later, we got another call saying we had a matter of hours to get home to see Dad. When that call came, my boss came over to watch Jonathan and a friend and colleague came over with her son to bring us food for the road. We loaded up and flew down the interstate. By God’s grace, Dad pulled through the night and was able to communicate with us that he wanted Jonathan to “snuggle” with him on his hospital bed. Once again, Jonathan was able to bring joy, hope and comic relief to what would have seemed like a grim time in our lives. Dad has now become a little stronger every day and has defied all odds. While Dad remains in a long term care center at the time, we have hope and faith that more miracles are yet to come.
If the circle of life wasn’t clearly enough laid out for us during our visits to the hospital and Care Center, Jonathan was baptized on September 6. What an absolutely perfect day it was. God was smiling down on our family that day as were Jonathan’s guardian angels. During worship, a song that was sung at both my grandfather’s funeral and Matt’s father’s funeral was sung. We all knew that they were looking down from Heaven, singing along with us:
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,Who abide in His shadow for life,Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,My Rock in Whom I trust." And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,Bear you on the breath of dawn,Make you to shine like the sun,And hold you in the palm of His Hand.The snare of the fowler will never capture you,And famine will bring you no fear;Under His Wings your refuge,His faithfulness your shield. And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,Bear you on the breath of dawn,Make you to shine like the sun,And hold you in the palm of His Hand.You need not fear the terror of the night,Nor the arrow that flies by day,Though thousands fall about you,Near you it shall not come. And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,Bear you on the breath of dawn,Make you to shine like the sun,And hold you in the palm of His Hand.For to His angels He's given a command,To guard you in all of your ways,Upon their hands they will bear you up,Lest you dash your foot against a stone. And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,Bear you on the breath of dawn,Make you to shine like the sun,And hold you in the palm of His Hand. And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
