Years ago before moving to Florida, we had a friend who was quite wealthy and was just short of being arrogant. I used to defend him by saying, "He's an acquired taste" but he did come off a bit, shall we say, 'confident'? After we built our home in Indian Bluff, his neighborhood, we gave him the 50 cent tour.
*
On the half wall next to the potty in our bathroom was a book nestled between the spindles. He declared that to be 'tacky', to have a book next to the potty. Yeah, right, just because I can read!!! Anyway, I went and picked it up as we were talking and he looked at the title and scoffed, "Who reads an encyclopedia???" Obviously he didn't, or was he just being cruel? The book was an encyclopedia of little known facts, perfect for the bathroom library. I just thought of this story as I put down a book I've been reading called "Words You Thought You Knew", about usage and such. It covers proper usage of words such as "further" and "farther", that sort of thing. Who reads an encyclopedia?
*
The video story I watched last night about Andy stayed with me and when I woke this a.m., it invaded my thoughts again. What must that be like, to birth a normal, healthy little boy and have him suffer brain damage by what started as a common infection?
*
I was forty years old when I had Timmy, and prior to his birth the medical people were concerned about birth defects and other complications due to my being "developed in years"....love that expression! Tests were run, and caution aired about possible results. We couldn't help but feel the primary purpose of the tests so early on was to determine if the baby "needed" to be terminated. The only thing we'd acknowledge was: if something was "wrong" with the baby, we'd love him/her anyway. Pretty brave words, and I have to hope that this was exactly how we'd feel. In fact, we had a problem-free pregnancy, no missed work, and healthy baby boy, in spite of the dire warnings issued.
*
Justin had a teacher at St. Johns who confided to us that he'd had a son who drowned and was resuscitated, only to have permanent brain damage. He had a heart beat but never regained consciousness, became a vegetable. His son lived in an institution for another seven years and then finally died.
*
When I see parents with children who have challenges, my heart warms, because the parents see their child as just that, 'their' child. God looks at us that way, too, as filthy and wretched and defected as we are. We've been washed with His righteousness and He looks at us with loving eyes and a Father's heart.
*
How would I have handled a case like Andy's? I would like to think I'd been up to the challenge but....now, as a single mom, I don't know, I don't know. The Lord was wise in handling our situation the way He did, taking Timmy straight home instead of allowing him to linger. This story really stirred something in me, I think Pastor knew that would happen!
*
On a totally 'nother subject, I am looking out a manatee resting against the sandbar about 3/4 of the way out into the basin. The dredger is quiet and I think they have to be as long as the manatees are "in the house"!
