The news about the shootings at Clackamas Mall and Sandy Hook Elementary hit a little too close to home for me. My heart breaks everytime I think about them. My jaw dropped when I found out about it. I also have to say, the Lord does work in mysterious ways....little tiny ways that most people would overlook and think nothing of; but to me they build my testimony and strengthen my belief and knowledge of a kind Heavenly Father who knows better than I what I need.
I had written down (five different places, the same time and location) that Matt's appointment to have his cast off was at 4:30 Tuesday over at the Sunnybrook Offices. Stann was still out of town, so I tentatively planned to take the kids to the mall and go see Santa. As a surprise...something fun for them to do - since Stann's out of town for most of December. Tuesday morning, I woke up got kids up and I had just started getting the boys dressed when Josh says "Mom! I threw up!" You can imagine how that went over. Josh was better by early afternoon - I obviously kept him home. Kathie volunteered to take him so I could stay home with the "sicko" and my heart dropped when Kathie told me two things.
1) Matt's appointment was actually for the next day at 4:00.
2) She'd just found out about the shooting; the hospital put everything in lockdown.
Gotta give props to Kaiser...they were amazing - keeping everyone updated and taking such amazing safety precautions. They were especially sensitive to the little ears and were great about giving information without scaring the bejeebers out of him.
I see a minor miracle here.
1) Kaiser fit him in - even though his appointment wasn't that day. They didn't want him out there since at the time the information given to them was that the shooter was on the loose in the area.
2) I would've taken the boys to see Santa before hand....we would have been in the area...
Maybe some would think I'm grasping at straws, but I'm grateful for the course of events (even if it was in the form of the stomach flu) that kept me from completing my original plans.
The last minor miracle was the day of the shooting. I was already feeling a little raw since the shooting happened in our community - and Friday morning, Kathie got me up to tell me Matt had thrown up in his bed. (yaaaay stomach flu....) It was a really rough day for that kid. He couldn't keep anything down and kept dry heaving even after all contents of his stomach had left him. (Sorry kid - you got your mom's stomach!) and in afternoon - that's when we heard about the shooting.
As I heard the horrific details told - I felt as if I'd been scraped raw. I couldn't hold back the tears as my imagination was quick to portray how it could've been my child. Our school. After all, Tuesday had already proven that our community wasn't immune. It could happen anywhere....
As the news crew described how the shooter came in and gunned down the office staff and then made it into the first classroom - it really hit home. At my boys' school, Matt's class is the first class off the office. It was all too easy to imagine that taking place....knowing if logistics had been different, it would be my son in a classroom. Gone. At the time I heard that, I wanted nothing more than to feel Matt in my arms and know he was safe...and there he was! Not that I didn't want Josh there, but he's in the back of the school and so I worried a lot less. ;) Not to mention he has half day Kindergarten and he was home within half an hour after I heard the news.
My minor miracle I saw - was that Heavenly Father knew I would need to have my children close that day. And I really am serious when I say NEED. I'm grateful He's given us our families. I'm grateful they're eternal. And I'm especially grateful that I get to hold them each night and whisper in their ears how much I love them.
My heart and prayers go out to those families, whose arms are empty tonight.
I had written down (five different places, the same time and location) that Matt's appointment to have his cast off was at 4:30 Tuesday over at the Sunnybrook Offices. Stann was still out of town, so I tentatively planned to take the kids to the mall and go see Santa. As a surprise...something fun for them to do - since Stann's out of town for most of December. Tuesday morning, I woke up got kids up and I had just started getting the boys dressed when Josh says "Mom! I threw up!" You can imagine how that went over. Josh was better by early afternoon - I obviously kept him home. Kathie volunteered to take him so I could stay home with the "sicko" and my heart dropped when Kathie told me two things.
1) Matt's appointment was actually for the next day at 4:00.
2) She'd just found out about the shooting; the hospital put everything in lockdown.
Gotta give props to Kaiser...they were amazing - keeping everyone updated and taking such amazing safety precautions. They were especially sensitive to the little ears and were great about giving information without scaring the bejeebers out of him.
I see a minor miracle here.
1) Kaiser fit him in - even though his appointment wasn't that day. They didn't want him out there since at the time the information given to them was that the shooter was on the loose in the area.
2) I would've taken the boys to see Santa before hand....we would have been in the area...
Maybe some would think I'm grasping at straws, but I'm grateful for the course of events (even if it was in the form of the stomach flu) that kept me from completing my original plans.
The last minor miracle was the day of the shooting. I was already feeling a little raw since the shooting happened in our community - and Friday morning, Kathie got me up to tell me Matt had thrown up in his bed. (yaaaay stomach flu....) It was a really rough day for that kid. He couldn't keep anything down and kept dry heaving even after all contents of his stomach had left him. (Sorry kid - you got your mom's stomach!) and in afternoon - that's when we heard about the shooting.
As I heard the horrific details told - I felt as if I'd been scraped raw. I couldn't hold back the tears as my imagination was quick to portray how it could've been my child. Our school. After all, Tuesday had already proven that our community wasn't immune. It could happen anywhere....
As the news crew described how the shooter came in and gunned down the office staff and then made it into the first classroom - it really hit home. At my boys' school, Matt's class is the first class off the office. It was all too easy to imagine that taking place....knowing if logistics had been different, it would be my son in a classroom. Gone. At the time I heard that, I wanted nothing more than to feel Matt in my arms and know he was safe...and there he was! Not that I didn't want Josh there, but he's in the back of the school and so I worried a lot less. ;) Not to mention he has half day Kindergarten and he was home within half an hour after I heard the news.
My minor miracle I saw - was that Heavenly Father knew I would need to have my children close that day. And I really am serious when I say NEED. I'm grateful He's given us our families. I'm grateful they're eternal. And I'm especially grateful that I get to hold them each night and whisper in their ears how much I love them.
My heart and prayers go out to those families, whose arms are empty tonight.
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