Pewter and Poetry

I was thinking last night about how lovely it is to watch Josiah sleeping peacefully.  His sats are often high 70s or low 80s when he's asleep and he looks quite perfect apart from the NG tube and the nose prongs.  Josiah slept well last night.  He just woke up once when he needed his diaper changed, and then went back to sleep. 

Josiah had a good day today.  He tolerated exercise time and he was even on his tummy for quite a while.  He usually just cries when I put him on his tummy.  He also gave beautiful smiles to his grandparents before his lunch.

I've liked pewter since my kindergarten teacher gave me something made out of pewter.  I was in grade five at the time and I'm pretty sure it was a little bunny pin.  Graham and I honeymooned in Nova Scotia and part of our trip was in Mahone Bay where there is a pewter studio.  We order a pewter ornament every year and our children have their own ornament with their name, birth date and Bible verse.  Josiah's ornament arrived yesterday.  It's called "Cherish" and shows a mother holding a baby.  This year's annual ornament is a mother polar bear with her two cubs.  Graham bought me a pewter heart necklace on our honeymoon so I also have a necklace for each child.  Josiah's necklace arrived yesterday as well.  It's called "Heart Beat."  It has a little cut-out heart on the bottom and the rest is a hammered texture.  I chose it because of the heart and because it made me think of the poem below by John Donne.  I don't like violence and this poem has violent imagery but I like the poem and I feel like it goes along with this journey.  I do hope it doesn't offend anyone.

BATTER my heart, three person'd God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow mee,'and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,	5
Labour to'admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely'I love you,'and would be loved faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie:	10
Divorce mee,'untie, or breake that knot againe;
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you'enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee.

It's sort of the poetic version of, "Please hit me over the head with a two-by-four Lord.  I need You to come and change me  - this will hurt.  I need You to capture my heart, mind, and soul because I can't do this on my own.  I need the freedom that only you can give by taking me to Yourself as Your own."

I don't want to think about where we'd be without family and friends (that includes our church of course).  We had three grandparents here over the course of the day helping out and the fourth grandparent was no doubt praying up a storm.  Once again we were blessed with delicious food today. 

I'm so thankful for our shift nursing and for our wonderful nurse who sings to Josiah and rocks him back and forth and tries to soothe him ... and I also fiercely wish that I didn't need a nurse to look after my son.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support.  God's provisions are abundant.

Blessings,

Elizabeth