1/12 check-up

It's here. God has graciously brought us through the first month of 2009! And as we embarq on the second phase of this year, my heart is heavy for a dear, small friend as she begins yet another battle at the hospital today. Her name is Lauren, and she's a feisty but feminine child facing another surgery in her fight with spina bifida. Our prayers are with her and her family. Two weeks ago today, I passed Lauren and her friend in the hallway at church and they stopped talking. They looked up with wide eyes as if they were in the middle of a conspiracy. Lauren sweetly smiled and said, "We're talking about MOVIES. I'm telling her about Prince Caspian, 'cause there's two girls, and in the end of the movie the big girl..." and at that point I started thinking "Oh, no...she's going to talk about the kiss." when she continued "...had on the most beautiful dress. It was white and had little gold ropes here and here and had a flower..." and I'm standing there dumbfounded. I've seen that movie twice, and I couldn't tell you what any of the characters are wearing ANYWHERE in the movie. Yet that little munchkin new every single accessory and every cut and tuck of that dress. One of these days I'll probably be buying the Lauren brand in Belks. If she doesn't go into nursing, that is. She and Bobby were both in the hospital around the same time last April. Bobby's hand was still recovering and bandaged from his IV backup, when Lauren came into church with her band-aids on each hand from her IVs. She wheeled up to Bobby, looked at his bandage, and without saying a word, held out both hands and struck a pout. Had she not tugged at our heart strings so much, I think we both would have laughed at her expression. My prayer is that when I post on March 1, I will again be rejoicing in God's faithfulness and mercy, that he will not only have brought Lauren through another ordeal, but that she will also be well on her way to regaining her strength and using her walker that she is proud of.