Hospitality, Charity and Love

Imagine my surprise on Sunday when I walked into my friend Mary's house and there was a surprise baby shower for me! They sneakily kept my mom here on Long Island when I thought she had left to go back home to Georgia. Dave's sisters and my dearest friends completed the guest list. The picture shows some of the generosity they bestowed on my little ones. There was also a high tech top of the line stroller (thanks mom) and another car seat. Whew! It looks like we are all set. The last few weeks I have been out of commission in many ways. I can't stand up for very long and walking further than the kitchen is a feat that brings applause from my children (they picked up a sarcastic gene from somewhere - can't imagine how that happened). I can't sleep much and yada, yada, yada..... you know I'm eight and a half months pregnant with twins. So all of this has given me the opportunity to be humble. I am generally someone who likes to do things alone. I hate giving up control and I like being the one who directs the household and takes care of things. I like to think of these qualities as part of my fiercely independent spirit, Dave thinks of them as part of my control freak nature and my parents have words like thickheaded and stubborn to describe it. Well not any more. I have had to learn to accept help and help is what I have been given, in the most loving spirit possible. My friends Joan and Chris has been providing meals several days a week to spare me cooking. They have also teamed up to take my children on various play dates and outings to keep them amused and allow me some peaceful rest time. My parents took Katie and Erin to Savannah for two weeks and showed them the time of their lives. They are now back home in Georgia waiting for the word to come up and stay for the duration. It should not be long now. So this time in my life has been a great lesson. Learning to accept the help so lovingly offered. Learning that charity is not only giving but also receiving. Receiving with a loving and grateful sprirt. Learning to offer up my discomforts and curb my bad mood for the sake of my children. All in all, as usual, God has sent me the lessons I need to learn while also providing for all of my needs and those of my family. His loving care is obvious in the loving care offered by my friends and family. Thank you to all of you!