Gratitude

This morning I received a call from a dear friend who insisted on making me the recipient of her tremendous charity.

Last night, feeling overwhelmed with the challenges of this pregnancy and the household duties that seemed impossible to face, I wondered how I could make it all happen. James has quite the course load this semester and he needs to be spending every spare minute preparing for the Dental Admissions Test in May. He's been trying to stay on top of his studies and still fill in for his honey who has been making regular trips to the hospital for re-hydration and ketone analysis. His burden has been no less than great. A damaged laptop and a fender bender with an uninsured motorist sent us over the edge yesterday. It was just one of those days.

So, it was especially nice to be rescued by this angel who has INSISTED that I allow her and a few others into my home as my own personal cleaning crew. It was clear right away that there was no chance that she'd allow me to politely decline, as my nature surely would have directed. I think perhaps, that she might possibly have beat the door down if necessary. At the first sound of this news, I thought how can I possibly let someone clean my house while I sit as a bystander! Then, in seconds, my heart melted and I just cried. I thought of the days that I stood breathless over the sink searching for the ability to make a dent in the dishes, only to find myself on a tile floor in my bathroom nauseated by scent of the dish detergent.

How could this friend have known just what I needed and how to offer it so that I could graciously accept? She's been there. A victim of difficult pregnancies, Wendy knows first hand what a difficult pregnancy can do to one's home. This came of great comfort to me as so few people know and understand the debilitating effects of HG. In this world of glowing pregnant women who run a mile everyday, and find just enough time between play group and a trip to the gym to eat a healthy salad, free of soft cheeses, and take their prenatal vitamins, it is comforting to find someone else who watched their belly grow from the same spot on the couch everyday.

While the first of the cleaning crew won't arrive until Friday, Wendy has already done more for me than she could know. She has lifted my spirits and really helped me to have hope. God certainly hears our prayers and I am so very grateful!