Terribly Poetic

You know what?  I get it, I honestly do.  I know that it can be frustrating for you to have to sit around my children during church.  I know that they don’t always remember to whisper, they might sit when we stand or stand when we sit, and they will probably (at some point) be eating during the service.  I promise they will be distracting sometimes and I guarantee they are not going to sit quietly the whole service (although I do promise to take them out when they are melting down… we all have those days don’t we?).  But here’s the thing…. that’s not my biggest concern right now.  My husband and I are not trying to teach our children to sit and be quiet so the adults can worship God through singing, teaching and responding. We’re not trying to make sure that they are “seen but not heard”, frankly their noise level is the least of our concern on a Sunday morning.
So what am I trying to teach my children when I get the opportunity to have them with me during the service?
I want my children to know that Church is FUN!!  When we come to Cornerstone, my youngest, Norah who is now 2 years old, almost always runs to the sanctuary doors and starts dancing and clapping.  Even in her young mind, she knows that in that place we sing with joy, we clap (some of us anyways), and we celebrate!  As she gets older she will come to understand that we are singing songs of joy to our Savior, we are clapping in adoration to our Father, and we are celebrating the works of our God!  Our oldest daughter, Libby, has started to understand that more and more every Sunday we are together.  She knows that we go to Church to learn about God and to remember all of the incredible things God has done for us through Jesus, His Son.
Secondly, I also want my children to know that Church is a place where all people are valued.  I want my girls to know that they are a part of something bigger RIGHT NOW.  They are not a nuisance, the are a part of something bigger than themselves… something God specially designed to carry out His purpose to the world.  They are not a part of the Body to come, but they are a integral part of the Body in the present, the here and now.  Are we perfect? Absolutely not!!  But that’s the beauty of God using His Church to work around us…. He takes us in our weaknesses so that we can see His Spirit working through us.  My children can grow the kingdom of God!  I have seen many children come to our mid-week program through the invitation of our Cornerstone kids and I know many children, Libby included, who are excited to be able to talk about Jesus with their classmates.
Lastly, I want my children to learn what God wants to teach them.  There are so many times that Libby has learnt of the things of God from simply spending time in the service.  She has asked me questions regarding the songs (“What does Hallelujah mean?”), regarding the sermon, which I once assumed she wasn’t listening to (“What does obedience mean?”), and she is learning so much from watching what we ALL do (“Why do we stand?”, “Why do some people put up their hands?”, “What’s the bread for?”, “What’s that picture on the screen mean?”, etc, etc).
So what am I asking of you, the Church?  Please understand that my husband and I aren’t perfect (and I’m sure other parents would agree they aren’t either) and we will get frustrated, but we’re trying to teach our children about something that is bigger than any of us.  It can be exhausting for some of us, to look for teachable moments, or to keep a toddler engaged (hence the snacks!).  But you know what?  A smile from across the room, or a knowing nod can be such an encouragement to a parent’s heart.  Older people, please encourage our young families who are trying teach their children the ways of our God.  Please don’t treat our children like an annoyance, and please don’t judge our parents purely on their children’s behavior.  Kids will be kids and we all have bad days.  If you’re around children at all, you probably know that Sundays have that special way of getting children completely off routine, causing more meltdowns… maybe it’s God’s way of teaching families to rely on Him and His Church… who knows!  I am asking that you extend grace to us, as parents, and come along side us to support and encourage us.  It is hard to raise a family in this age, and families are being attacked at every level, so please pray for us and lift us up to God.
Lastly, if you take nothing else from this article, please hear me when I say the children are watching EVERYTHING that happens on a Sunday.  They are not just looking at the stage, they are looking everywhere.  They are not just watching the leaders, they are watching YOU.  They are not just hearing the words that are being spoken or sung, they are watching your actions and how you are responding to what’s being said.  And they are not only watching you in the pews… they are watching you in the foyer, in the gym, while you drink your coffee and in the parking lot.  And please, I beg of you as a mother who whole heartedly wants my children to fall completely in love with Jesus, show my kids what it’s like to be 100% in love with God.  Please extend the love and grace that God has given to you to my children.  How great it would be that by the time the children in our church can first say “Jesus”, they have already experienced His grace and love through people of the Church thousands of times!  And I’m not talking about in the nurseries, or the CE wing, but in our pews and foyer…. can I hear a “Hallejuah!!”

Well after a day of (really) no change, we were excited to see a lot of things move forward today. As I said before Norah got one of her chest tubes removed before lunch. Then in the afternoon she got her breathing tube, her temperature line, and her catheter out. She also is completely off the morphine and other medicines as well. She now is only on Tylenol and still has one more medication to go. It is a medicine that helps to constrict her heart and get the gunk out of her lungs as well. They are weaning her off that tonight and hope to have her off of it tomorrow morning.
Because she became unhooked from a lot of wires/tubes, Daryl and I were able to hold her for the first time!!! It was so wonderful… I can’t even describe what it felt like. It was surreal! It was also wonderful to hear her little cry (even though it still sounds quiet and raspy). By the end of me holding her my arm was completely asleep and tingly, but I totally didn’t care!
We are hoping, and the Dr’s think, that Norah will be able to move up to the cardio ward tomorrow!! YAY! This means that we’ll have more room to be with her and I’ll be able to room in with her as well!
We feel so incredibly blessed by you all! It has been wonderful to receive all your little notes of encouragement. Thank you for thinking of our family.

Last night we met another family that needs your prayer:

Rebecca and Grant have a little girl named Oxsanah (Ox-anna). She is only 2 weeks older than Norah (so she is 4 months old). When Rebecca was about 20 weeks pregnant they discovered that there was something wrong with their babies heart. Oxsanah’s heart only has 3 out of 4 chambers and one of her valves was basically useless. The Dr’s all encouraged Rebecca and Grant to terminate the pregnancy but they refused. So they were told that they would be given compassionate care after Oxsanah was born, which basically meant that after her birth, her parents could hold her while she died. But, by the power of God, Oxsanah is still alive! She has a shunt in her valve and she is doing okay breathing on her own (she just got her tube removed today again…. for the second time in three days). The Dr’s think her only chance for survival is a heart transplant. I can’t imagine what they are going through. Rebecca said it has been a huge comfort to know people are praying for them. When they feel down, they call out to those praying and feel restored and strengthened. This is a beautiful family that really do need prayer! Please pray that Oxsanah can be healed and lead a long healthy life! She is a beautiful little girl and these parents have fought so hard for her. Please remember this family in your prayers!

Thank you all,
Dawn

Well it’s day 3 of our family’s adventure and it felt very strange (and wonderful!) to get a little break from the hospital today!  We were able to sleep in a little, relax in the morning and do a little shopping (got some great deals on some clothes for Libby for next year!).  Today also gave us a little bit of a chance to look around the Ronald McDonald house a little.  I guess I never thought about it before, but it has been such a blessing to have a wonderful place, with all the things we need, and we don’t have to worry about the price!  A hotel like this (without all the amenities) would be at least $100 (conservative) a night and when your looking at two weeks, that would be a lot of money!!!

Staying around here today also gave us the chance to see a lot of other families.  I can’t explain how I feel, knowing that all these families have a little child that is sick.  You see families that are trying to have some form of normality in a very abnormal situation.  And you also can’t take anything for granted… there are many families that are just trying to make the best out of a very sad situation.  There is a little girl here, named Hannah, who seems to know everyone!  She is very friendly and chatty, and is a very typical 2 year old, including the tantrums   BUT, it breaks my heart to know that the reason she is fairly grumpy (although she rewards us with a smile now and then), is because she got one (of many) chemo shots today and it makes her nauseous, tired and sore.  She is such a beautiful little girl and such a joy to everyone here!  Please pray for Hannah and her family that she will be able to battle the cancer in her body!  We are continually reminded that it can always be worse and God is with us every step of the way.  We are not without hope, because we know the Healer, the Maker and the All Powerful!!

We were told today that Norah’s surgery is tomorrow at 8:20am (which is 9:20am Sask time).  We will be at the hospital at 7 in the morning, and then we won’t see her for about 5-6 hours.  The surgery itself is only about 2-3 hours, but in the beginning they need to take her to put her to sleep and then after the surgery the nurses will set her all up in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit).  After that, we can go in and see her…. please cover that moment in prayer for us!  I can’t even imagine all the emotions that we’ll go through at that time!!

So tonight we are in pre surgery mode.  Norah has already had one bath with some special soap, and then we’ll give her another one right before bed, and then it’s bath #3 before we leave for the hospital tomorrow.  She is going to be one squeaky clean (and sterile) little girl before that surgery!

Prayer requests:

That the surgery would go well, that Norah would be safe and that they WOULDN’T have to open up her pulmonary artery.  (If they have to open that up, there is a much bigger chance of complications afterward).
For Daryl and I as we wait during the surgery, and when we see Norah for the first time after.
That Norah would heal quickly, would stay infection free and that she would recover properly.
-For little Hannah, that her body would be restored and the cancer would be taken away.

Thank you all for all your prayers!  We are so thankful for how you’ve all encouraged us and cared so much for our family!  I’m not sure how much of a post I’ll do tomorrow, but we will try our best to update everyone.

Blessings,
The Grunau’s