December 24, 2007

  • Christmas Eve

    December 24, 2007

     

    It is 10:30pm and I am sitting alone in a room at the Chrismar Hotel here in Livingstone.  Since it is our family tradition to celebrate Christmas eve and since we were apart last Christmas with Sal here and me in the States, we decided to have a one night getaway …..just the two of us.  It started this am with Sal seeing 25 patients at the clinic, visiting and exchanging gifts with the other 5 missionaries at the farm and then heading off to town by 12 noon after giving instructions to the on-call staff.  All the inpatients were discharged, even though Mercy had still not gone into labor.  She went home however to be with her family for Christmas and then will return.  She took Sal’s phone number just in case.

    The sun was shining when we left so we hoped to spend the afternoon at the pool relaxing and reading.  As soon as we checked in however, the thunder started and before we knew it the downpour came.  The sky got dark and dreary and the rain continued. The electricity stayed on thankfully so air-condition, TV and the teapot were all working!!!! I took a nap while Sal tried to watch NFL football….I say tried because the satellite connection kept going in and out on that station.  Eventually the rain quit, but the sun never came back out so we watched a movie and then got ready for dinner.  We stayed at the hotel where they had a very nice buffet dinner starting at 7pm.  Once back at the room around 10pm, Sal’s phone rang.  It was one of the clinic workers Janet who had just started labor pains with her first child.  Needless to say, my caring husband with paramedic blood couldn’t refuse to help.  He made me stay and told me he would be back soon…..his plan was to examine her, admit her to the clinic, and then leave her there with the on-call person until morning.  I say ‘was’ because no sooner had he left when I received another phone call from a husband of a three-month pregnant female who was bleeding.  Sal would have to meet them halfway and bring her also to the clinic. 

     

    So here I am alone on Christmas eve…..and I decided to check email.  I opened one from my daughter-in-law Rachel (Gabe’s mother).  I cried when I read the struggle of my children….she and my son Shaun had to take Gabe to the ER again this Christmas eve …it was last year on Christmas eve when all this started with Gabe. (If you don’t know the story of my youngest grandchild, you can visit www.carepages.com and then Gabesspecialplace). Praise the Lord that he was able to return home and did not need to be admitted…please continue to pray for him.

     Well, not only that, but Shaun tries so hard to keep the family traditions. So he planned on having the rest of our family over the house for dinner and the traditional Marini Christmas celebration…..but my other grandsons Daniel and Finn are still sick and can’t be around Gabe.  Rachel doesn’t want to leave Gabe to go to Scott’s house nor does Shaun think it wise to take the girls over to where they may get sick and bring it back to Gabe.  I don’t know what Mark’s plans are….So it looks like all the Marini’s will be having a “by themselves” Christmas eve this year. How I wish I could be there to make a meal…make the nutroll….make some cookies…hold Gabe….kiss my grandchildren…pray….give a hug….and just be mom ………but I can’t.

    I am on the other side of the world where God has me planted right now.   So as I sit alone this Christmas eve I ponder “What is the meaning of all this Lord?”  “What do you want us to learn from all this?”

     

    This Christmas eve,  my prayer is that we receive a revelation of the true meaning of Christmas and the extent of God's love for each one of us.  Merry Christmas to all of you!