RoslynReynolds.com

Tears – and a Prayer

Posted On Thursday, June 4th, 2009

Under: Death of a loved one, Grieving, Healing after Loss

This past month began with tears and a prayer. When I received the phone call that my two-year-old grandson had fallen out the third-story window and was in the emergency room, tears sprang to my eyes, and I immediately gathered my family in a prayer, pleading with God to help that little boy.
The next forty-eight hours were filled with tears and prayers, as we waited anxiously for each update on his condition, praying for miracles.
The miracles, one by one, were granted. No broken bones, no head trauma, no spinal damage – just  a lacerated liver and a nearly-severed tongue, both injuries that could heal with time and proper care.

Now our tears were tears of relief – and our prayers were filled with expressions of gratitude.

Of course he would need extra care for the next few weeks, and I wanted to be there to help. His mother was expecting their second child in three weeks, and my plans had been to fly out to help when that baby was born. Now my daughter asked, could I come help now?

I made my plans – and then came another phone call. My dear mother-in-law, 90 years old, just had a stroke. She could no longer swallow, and wasn’t expected to live more than a few days.

Again, tears came to my eyes. I remembered the many years she had devoted herself to being the sweet “Grandma” that my children loved to spend time with, always planning some excursion or adventure, never complete without her little cooler of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies.
As I remembered, I offered a prayer of thanks for such a wonderful mother-in-law and “Grandma”.

My plans to leave put on hold, and in tears, I called each child, attempting to make arrangements for each child to talk to her one last time. Would it be possible? With one daughter on the East coast, one in Idaho, a son serving a church mission in Argentina, another daughter working a temporary assignment in South-Eastern Utah, and the other three at work or school, would it be possible to gather them in time?

I offered a prayer – and things began to fall into place.

By the end of the day, each child had been able to talk to Mom, either by phone, through a video chat, or in person. Sweet words of appreciation, remembrance, and love had been exchanged, and every child had been able to say a tender good-bye to their dear grandmother.

We all wept tears of grief, realizing the void that will now be in our lives, but also tears of gratitude that we had experienced her love in our lives for so long, and that we have the chance to see her again after this life. The funeral was beautiful, honoring the life of a sweet soul who had devoted her life to serving others.
I made new flight arrangements, and soon arrived in Washington, DC. I cried tears of joy when I saw my grandson for the first time since his accident, realizing that we very well could have lost him. Instead, God granted a miracle, and here he was, well on his way to total recovery.

I have spent the last three weeks here, as my grandson continued to heal, as the family moved to a new home, and as, just last week, they welcomed baby #2 to the family – a healthy eight-pound six-ounce boy. Again, tears of joy filled my eyes. Holding him has been a sweet reminder of the miracle of birth, and the joy of being near a soul so recently in the arms of God.

This month is ending with tears and a prayer, also. I will be flying out early Monday morning, back to my home, back to mothering my twenty-eight-year-old daughter (who herself has been “mother” in my absence,) my sixteen-year-old son (who doesn’t necessarily feel he needs mothering at this point, but I know better) and my fourteen-year-old daughter, whose sweet hugs I have missed dearly.
I leave with tears of tenderness. I will miss this sweet little family. And I leave with a prayer that God will continue to watch over them, and keep them safe. And I pray that I will be ever more aware of the miracles God performs in my that, if I am not careful, might go unnoticed and unappreciated.

May you see His miracles in your life – and may your tears be those of gratitude, and your prayers be filled with renewed devotion!

With tears, and a prayer,

Roslyn

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