Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A tough night

I am even more tired today than I was yesterday. This is because my night went something like this...

11:00 p.m. -- Went to bed having taken aspirin and rubbed down my knees with arnica gel. Was really hoping to get some good sleep.

12:45 a.m. -- Phone on my nightstand jolts me out of slumber. A recording of a harsh man’s voice tells me that some building at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL has undergone a power outage and crews are working around the clock to attempt to rectify this horrible situation which is a virtually impossible job because of several factors which I was too exhausted to absorb or comprehend.

2:15 a.m. -- Northwestern University's automated emergency response system calls again, to give me an update on the building with the power outage. I hang up without listening through the recording.

3:30 a.m. -- Shawn gets up to go to the bathroom and discovers that Piper has had diarrhea on the tile in the bathroom. The good news is that (1) it was not on a carpet or a rug, and (2) Shawn did not step in it. Shawn cleaned it up himself, without me. He turned on the lights so he could see what he was doing and used toilet paper which he flushed repeatedly down the toilet. After much light, water and toilet paper had been expended, Shawn sprayed the floor thoroughly with Lysol which spread its strong disinfectant fumes into the adjoining bedroom (in other words, up my nose). Don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining about Shawn. I am thankful that I did not have to get up and do all this. I am just explaining that I was thoroughly awake and not enjoying the experience much, for all how thankful I was that Shawn took the brunt of it. When he finished, he put Piper into his crate.

5:00 a.m. -- Piper awakened and whined to go outdoors. Knowing that he had diarrhea, I got up quickly and took him downstairs, where I opened the deck door to The Storm of The Century. All right, it wasn’t really the storm of the century; it was supposed to be, but it wasn’t. Not quite. However, there was deep snow stacked up so that when Piper hopped over the threshold, he found himself up to his chest in new-fallen snow which was still coming down in sharp spicules from the sky. Afraid that he would have diarrhea in the house again, I closed the door on him and left him out there while I hurried to put on Shawn’s boots and jacket over my pajamas and grab a hat and some gloves.

When I returned to shovel, Pipe had waded to the edge of the deck where he stood trying to ascertain exactly where the stairs had gone. I waded through the snow towards him, and a lot of it came over the tops of Shawn’s boots onto my bare ankles and feet inside. I needed to clear the deck steps first, and make a small area for Piper on the ground. That accomplished, I began to backtrack, shoveling out a path back to the door. It was messy, but I did it. Not well, but I guess well enough.

Back inside, I tried to wipe Piper off with a towel, but it was futile. He was encrusted with snow all through his fluffy white fur. So I tucked him under my arm and carried him back upstairs where I deposited him into his crate and Shawn turned on the TV to check for snow cancellations. Jonny got a snow day. Shannon and DJ did not.

After that, I snoozed until 7:20 when I dragged, literally dragged myself out of bed and made a kefir smoothie for DJ and tried to finish my shower before the contractors arrived at 8 a.m. I got out of the shower, looked out the window in Shannon's bedroom, and saw Shawn and the head contractor clearing out our driveway so the contractor could get his truck in.

Thus my morning began. Whether I was ready or not. Remember how we used to play hide-and-seek and the “it” person would yell, “Ready or not, here I come!” Well, that’s what morning did to me today.

I am afraid that I am ready for this remodeling to be done. Yes we have one working shower, and yes, I am grateful for it. But we don’t have any towel bars. Nor are there wastebaskets or washcloths in places where I can find them. Also, my space heater has disappeared. I am ready for a night when I can sleep from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. and then get up and have nobody but immediate family in the house, and I can make coffee and tea and eggs and toast at my leisure and take a shower after I have eaten. Yes, that would be really nice.

These bathrooms are going to be great when they are done. I can already see that. I will try to find a way to take an inconspicuous nap with contractors in my house, and then I will feel better.

4 comments:

Ruth MacC said...

Hi Ruth,
I was hopeing you would pray for me. It looks like my mum may be dying. She is very old and has been suffering from MS for almost fifty years. She is in hospital with a chest infection and pneumonia. She is concious, unable to talk but able to communicate. (she hasn't been able to move for years) She has asked the doctors and family not to treat her with antibiotics or to be resuscitate (she was resuscitated in the ambulance on the way to the hospital on Wednesday. She wants to die. She is not eating, drinking or on the drip. She says she is a christian but I am not 100% sure...

I have nine brothers and sisters and I am the only one saved. I am in a lot of contact with them now in the hospital and feel, well... I am afraid I may let the Lord down in some way, in my conversation etc.

It's tough Ruth because for years I have not been allowed to have much contact with her and absolutely no spiritual conversation has been allowed, although today I had the chance to sing christian hyms to her :0)

Will you please bring this need to your church for pray or to friends? I would very much appreciate it. I feel a bit worn out and down but I am close to God and I know I am in His hands. I lost my dad to cancer 3 years ago but God assured me that He saved him. This time I feel He is teaching me a lesson in faith, He is growing me!

Ruth said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ruth said...

I am praying. God has a purpose and a plan, and in His almighty power, He will carry it out perfectly. Job 42:2 says that God can do all things and no plan of His can be thwarted. God called you out of an unsaved family, saved you and placed the Holy Spirit in your heart to make you grow. God will use you as a light to your family, and through you He will speak the good news of the gospel with grace, compassion and lovingkindness. I pray that He will strengthen you and uphold you, that He will put His words in your mouth, His love in your heart, and His grace in your hands to touch those around you. I pray that you will be able to have a sign from Him through your mother that she knows and accepts the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus offers, that she is looking forward to entering His kingdom. And I pray that God's grace in you will be a comfort to all your family. May He turn His face towards you, bless you and give you peace.

Ruth MacC said...

Dear Ruth,
Thank you for your very encouraging words and scripture. If God blessed me with the answer to a quarter of your prayers I would be so very grateful. Thank you, thank you...

I am just home from the hospital, it's late. Today mum looked better and actually ate a yogurt. It was a very tough day. I was on my own with mum and without going into too much detail, I talked with the doctor as to why mum had no drip for three days. She said that she had too much fluid in her body. I asked he to do a water test so she did and agreed to put mum back on the drip. I am happy with this decision. However, I was very afraid that it would become known what I did and that some of the family would blame me for delaying her death. I went through the most awful time in my mind and got Niall to pray for me. God helped me through it and I am safe at home now...I know I shouldn't be afraid of men and that it truly is a snare but this is a weakness in me that God is working on.

So, as far as I can see, mum seems to be holding her own. She is a very strong woman and I think there is a chance that she will pull through this. God may not want her to go right now and to tell you the truth, I would be delighted if that was the case. By the time I left she was able to say a word or two.

I am so very touched by the fact that you and your friends are praying for me and mum. One of my brothers has a very tight hold over my mum for years now. He is not saved but thinks he is. He took her to the US, England etc to benny hinn to get healed etc... Dreadfull stuff.. Casting out deamons... It goes on and on. You will just have to believe me when I say that I caused no trouble between him, mum and me but I ended up being told I couldn't pray with mum, read the Bible to her, talk to her about God etc, and when I was told I coulodn't say the name 'God' in her presence I refused to agree saying that I wouldn't deny Christ and then I was told to leave the house and not come back. That was almost nine years ago, about a year after my conversion.

It's an extreme but true case of persecution. Totally uncalled for.

But... God is good!!!
I have patience!
He is upholding!
ANd this can't go on for ever :0)

I believe God will save mum and I can wait until I go to Heaven myself and have a perfect relationship with her there!

Once again, thanks Ruth. I will keep you posted.

May God continue to bless you.