Qualifying Events

May 20, 2010

Qualifying Events

Sometimes we use the term "qualify for blessings" in our church. I think it means that when things are rocky, rough, hard, discouraging and soul-destroying we have two choices, to lose the faith or to keep it. If the faith is kept, blessings are sure to follow.

Last night after we put five of the children to bed, I sat on the couch watching taped TV with Ever snuggled on my chest. Chup went to get us drinks so we could toast ourselves for a successful day of parenting. Sorta successful, there was this one moment when . . . nevermind.

I took a few relaxing sips of my vanilla-lemon medley when suddenly I went cold. From the top of my head to my toes--chills and cold sweating. At that point I was swift to remember this horrible case of flu that has been visiting my family lately. Violent vomiting followed by days of fever and aches.

I thought perhaps our taking in a few extra children would be sorta like the passover lamb. Surely our house wouldn't be plagued, we had made our sacrifice, hadn't we?

But it came in the night like the shadow of death. The horrific loss of bodily fluids, the shakes, the unshakable nausea.I suffered through it alone--with an occasional help from Chup--while everyone slept (even that Ever, like a cozy avocado pit). But really, it is a wonder I am alive to write about it now.

I got so dehydrated I was hallucinating. I dreamed I was on the mountain behind my house. I found a spring run-off going down the face of the mountain. I jumped in the freezing water which turned me into an orange, shiny, human fish. I was taking in cold water throughout my entire scaly body. When every pore was filled with hydration,I swam all the way back to my backyard and climbed into bed.

A mirage, is what that was.

So in the aftermath this morning I am finding everything intact, just swell. Swelling, I mean. Just swelling--my ankles especially for some odd reason. The consolation is that I am pretty sure this is one of those qualifiers. If I can get through it, if Steph can get through it, if our collective children can get through it and (perhaps most of all) if our husbands can get through it with faith and gratitude intact, we're going to start picking from a blessing catalog.

Um, yes I will take two more babies please.

For my sister while she was sleeping, photos of yesterday at the park: