She's a-comin'

Sometime in the next week or two, we hope to meet our first grandchild. Melissa's doctor predicts a girl and we're looking forward to saying hello to her.

"Have you looked at all the cute things for baby girls?" my friends kept asking. "Such fantastic things! You can spend your whole afternoon in the little girl section of a store!"

Until this week, I've resisted gathering baby stuff. Melissa's friends and family rallied at a huge baby shower last weekend, and we had no idea what gifts Baby would receive. This week I found a Britax stroller/carseat on CL, and Rebekah passed along a Graco play-set with "the works" for traveling and infant comfort. Along with newborn disposable diapers, our purchases are done for now.

While I puzzle together the baby stuff, W's busy nesting elsewhere. He's finished the top tread of bamboo on the stairs this morning. Now he is sanding the conservatory. When I moved the furniture out earlier, the sun-darkened wood outlined the edges of the rugs. The raw fir floor, installed at Christmas, has shifted as it absorbed heat, cold, and humidity. Over the past months, a few canine guests added their yellow inspirations in a few places.

I remember my impatience and obsession with our babies' development during pregnancy. Every day stretched into endless hours and minutes of waiting. I'd wake up thinking, "23 weeks, 2 days. Morning." At noon, I'd remember, "23 weeks, 2 days. Lunch.) In the evening, it would still be, "23 weeks, 2 days. Ah, it's finally evening." 

The next day I'd wake with, "23 weeks, 3 days. Oh no, I still have the whole day to get through." In a mean twist of fate, I delivered our first child 15 days "late," the second 8 days "late," and the third and fourth nearer their due dates. (Where we live now, gynecologists push for quicker arrivals. Our Canadian family doctor said, "That baby will come when it's ready." Right, Doc!)

Watching W work, I am grateful for lessons learned by previous delays. Years ago, the unfinished floor and waiting for this grandchild's birth-day would have buzzed through my mind from morning to night, nearly every day. Mental blocking techniques and absorbing energy into other projects help. However, learned reluctance to dwell on events and unfinished chores beyond my control has become the biggest stress-reliever.

Sometimes people waited a long time for good things from God's hand, like those ill for decades before Jesus healed them. I'm content with the drone of the sander. Relieved we can step down or up the steps without watching our feet. And I'm very glad that we'll soon greet Timothy and Melissa's baby.

I guess patience pays off. Eventually. 

Read more:

*Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, 'Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?' (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

And he answered, 'If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn't you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.'

Then he said to the man, 'Hold out your hand.' So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Matthew 12:9-13 NLT

*(Jesus) "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.  While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24:49-53 NIV