All of my ladies are up in Yorktown, Virginia this whole week. I am taking a week-long class on the Psalms that goes from 8 to 5 and Susan thought it might be best to take the girls and visit family while I can get some sleep and focus on the class before me. This will be the longest I have been away from my daughters and though the sleep has been nice, I already miss my girls. I might write some Lament Psalms of my own before the week is over!
Just to recap the recent events; the week and a half that Susan and I were sick were long and arduous. In so many ways we were just glad to make it through each day. I never realized to what extent lack of sleep could affect a person. There was one night where Susan had Abigail and Evelyn was crying in the other room in her crib. Though I could somewhat make out the cry and at some distant level in my subconscious I knew it was important for me to get up, it took Susan giving me some forceful encouragement for me to fully realize I needed to act. Whether I got up then and came back, or just moved around a bit, I don’t remember, but I somehow I ended up with a pillow on my chest, of which I was comforting like it was my sweet little Evelyn. Meanwhile my real child was still upset in the other room. Susan had to make me aware that I was not in fact holding our child but a pillow.
I hear they use sleep deprivation as a tool of interrogation and torture.
By the grace of the LORD we all got better without getting the girls sick. We are so thankful for all the prayers. Susan’s mom came and stayed with our family and was such a huge blessing. I couldn’t imagine making it through the week as well as we did without her or our blessed small group.
To be honest, it is hard to see out of the fog of little sleep and energy, so hearing the struggles and victories of others is always a welcomed perspective and encouragement. I want us continually to remember the Kingdom of Christ in the midst of this season so that in our struggles we can begin and end our prayers with thankfulness as well as the hope that we are faithfully serving the LORD during this time.
Grace and Peace.
The Michaels 