Overflowing with Thankfulness

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" Colossians 2:6-7

This past Sunday morning, our Sunday School teacher asked us to take turns going around the room and stating our name and one adjective to describe ourselves that day. Wow...what a simple yet thought-provoking question. Of course, I will analyze anything like that versus just giving a "pat" answer. I went through several adjectives in my mind and most of them were "extreme" in nature. I was pumped; I was anxious; I was encouraged; I was touched by God's and my friends' love and care.

So, I settled for the word "Overwhelmed."

And, I have to say that I need to amend that. That particular word has a connotation of being somewhat negative. And, that's not what I wanted to convey. Instead, I should have said "Overflowing."

Let me tell you a little bit about why....

Looking back at my past, I can see what when I walk through valleys or difficult moments, I am always amazed at God's presence and care through those times. I'm learning, as I mature in age and in knowing Him, that He is always the same. He is constant and He is ever-present. So, I am learning to look for his tender-loving-care when I find myself in a new storm of life. Because it WILL be there.

And, he hasn't failed me yet. Not then and not now.

In the midst of summer's craziness, we learned that Caboose has two conditions that we are working on correcting. Both are related to the way he was positioned inside of me and both are intertwined. The first set of conditions - plagiocephaly and brachycephaly - has to do with the shape of his head's bone structure. The bones are growing in this set, deformed pattern, but, with an amazing "new" orthotic called a cranial band, these shape of his head will be corrected and will prevent future problems with jaw alignment and such. His eyes, ears, and nose will all line up a little better and the flatness in the back of his head will be corrected. While we do and would always love Caboose with any head shape, we do feel that we need to get this helmet for him as soon as possible.

The second condition is called torticollis and has to do with the neck muscles. We have always noticed that he favors one side of his head and has trouble turning his head from one side to another. He also is struggling with rolling over, an action that begins with the twisting of the head, neck, and upper body. With a little physical therapy, we are extremely confident that he will be on the correct path soon!

While I am completely at peace with the road God has set us on, I am still grieved that Caboose has to even go through these next few months. I am more than willing to deal with all the insurance run-around, with the decisions associated with which provider is best, and with the intricacies of the medical jargon and the reasoning behind the course of action set before us. If this will make Caboose's life easier and better, then CS and I are 100% there! But, I will so miss rubbing his sweet, soft head all day long and will long for the "normal-ness" of the first year of life.

But, I am still overflowing with thankfulness that this is not a life-threatening situation and that our son is healthy and just needs a little "tweaking" for a few months. I will rest in His love and plan...for I know that there is a bigger picture that God can see. And, I'm okay with that.

I have to say that CS and I have been utterly floored by the support and encouragement shown to us by our closest friends. No, I'm not surprised...they are pretty great! But, I'm so thankful to have them there with listening ears, understanding hearts, and supportive thoughts.

I plan to chronicle every moment with this journey. If I can share the ups and downs and touch one other person's life, then I am committed to doing that. So, stay tuned to lots of pictures and explanations of our walk through correcting plagiocephaly, a condition that is becoming more and more frequent in our country.

Our girls, Caboose, CS, and I feel so loved and thankful for the lives we live. The actions shown to us by God and by others has strengthened our faith and given us hearts overflowing.

Cindy and crew