Quiet Love

“Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And yet, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12a)

Since we have been such frequent occupants of room 1510 at Lurie Children’s Hospital these past few months, we’ve been able to form relationships with quite a few of the nurses on the Cardiac floor. It’s something that I’ve really enjoyed, because I tend to love getting to know people and I know that my day goes faster when I have someone to talk to! It’s also something of a discipline for me, as I know how easy it would be to just get wrapped up in a book or game on my iPad and just shut those people out. It definitely takes less work and energy, and I won’t lie- sometimes my brain just needs that mindless distraction. Yet, Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians as they press on in love is a good reminder to me in these times as well.

My parents and teachers through the years have done a wonderful job of teaching me what it means to love people, and how that is reflecting the true face of Christ. Having been on the receiving end of a whole lot of love recently, it’s been quite a lesson of how love isn’t the way that the world portrays it. Love doesn’t mean big, showy gestures, sometimes it just means a well-timed hug or word of encouragement, or a hot cup of coffee. Love means really inquiring into a person’s well-being, and being willing to listen while they are honest with you...and not inserting your opinion at the end of the conversation. Love is remembering those details later.

We have had the opportunity to get to know Brady’s caretakers pretty well; 12 hours in a row with a person is ample time to accomplish that if you’re willing. There were obvious moments when our faith was on display for these people (when our friends, family & clergy came to pray over Brady), and ways that we did so without realizing (a doctor told us that we were handling this situation with such grace, and our faith was evident through it all). Through out all of it, Paul’s words ring true. Our work as followers of Christ is to love and to do so without ceasing so that our model for love is reflected in everything we do. Every situation is an opportunity for impact, and all we have to do is keep our actions and hearts focused on our ability to love.

Brady will probably come home today-they have had some questions about his oxygen saturation while he sleeps, but they may just have us come back for a sleep study later, as it’s not a highly concerning matter. We’ll have 4 ½ weeks of pretty strict precautions, but it just is huge relief to be done... to not have the next thing on the horizon, a huge unknown looming ahead. Now, it’s hopefully just the normal parenting stresses, you know, adding speech and occupational therapy to his physical therapy. Sarcasm aside, we look forward to watching Brady’s growth as we go through his first spring and come up on his first birthday! It is just a blessing to feel so free, and we are going to soak it up as much as possible!