Sliding into Lessons

Posted by Tammy | 0 comments

In mid-February after my fourth grandchild was born, a friend casually asked what the next big event would be in our family this year.  After stopping and thinking for a moment or two, I could honestly say, “Nothing!” with a big smile on my face.  There was not a single big thing that came to mind.  No graduations, no weddings, no babies, no one moving, no vacations or trips planned, NOTHING.  Contemplating that answer allowed me to hum through several days as the thought of a quiet year for a change brought me a sense of contentment and an opportunity to perhaps catch up with life a bit.

That feeling lasted for about one week.

Then my husband slipped on our icy driveway as he was slowly, cautiously making his way from our house to his work garage.  Crawling to his office, he called me to come and bring some ice for his rapidly swelling ankle.  Our hopes for a sprain were quickly dashed when x-rays revealed a break as well as a ligament badly damaged as another bone had shifted.  Almost two weeks on his back with his foot elevated with ice to reduce the swelling for surgery, then an anticipated eight weeks of a cast and no weight bearing on his right foot.

This simple slip on the ice has now been classified as our next big event that arrived unannounced and dramatically changed life in our household.  A husband who is used to being active and outdoors and busy suddenly found himself not only dependent upon us for his basic needs, but also just as suddenly bored. A mother and children who were used to a regular routine suddenly found the flow of their lives not only continuously interrupted, but also just as suddenly fuller than normal. A rocky time of transition occurred.

Until a little light bulb went on in this mother’s head.

My children had a very captive audience in our household and I needed to take advantage of it.  A dad who was always so busy was now suddenly  available for them.  Our youngest schooler could now sit next to the bed and do her reading to Dad.  The next schoolers could now spend time playing cards or board games on the bed with him. The older ones could find some favorite movies to watch with dad.  The ones away from home could now find dad readily available for phone conversations.  BONUS!

Other lessons learned?  How about servanthood as meals that looked visually appealing needed to be delivered to his bedside as well as refilled glasses of water or re-freshened ice packs for his foot?  Or how about expanding our patience when a kind word needed to be expressed and a helping hand extended when he often became frustrated with such simple tasks as putting on a sock or attempting to get another pillow under his foot?  What about understanding more about what sacrifice looks like as meeting his needs often collided with what we were doing at the moment? Don’t forget the part about lack of rest as he was forced to sleep on his back while the pain medication put him into a state of snoring.  Oh wait a minute, the real lesson I learned then was to move to another bed, pushing a child over, so I could get some rest.

As we transition to the new stage of dad on crutches and making sure all his pathways are clear of shoes and dolls, I realize that although our many lessons learned schooled us well, our family’s greatest blessing has been being on the receiving end of our church family.  The calls, the cards, the visits, the meals, and their general encouraging support have been a wonderful testimony of Christlike compassion and love.  What an example they have been to our family and the best lesson we could have learned to repeat in the lives of others!

So can I encourage YOU on this day to take a few minutes to encourage a family who may be going through an unexpected difficult time?  A simple phone call or quick note, a batch of cookies or muffins, a gift card to a local favorite pizza take-out place or Walmart – each can be a tremendous blessing to those on the receiving end and an encouragement to them to pass it on when life once again returns to a place of normal.  For reaching out to others with Christlike love really is the heart of the matter!

Married in 1980 and still living in the same house in a woodsy rural setting, Tammy Dallmann’s homeschooling journey began in the fall of 1987 when her oldest turned six years old. As rather new believers professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, homeschooling was a way to live out the principles found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Through all the challenges of life Tammy has stayed the course growing to a family with nine children who presently range from grade school age to college graduates married with children. Her role has transitioned from learning everything she could about homeschooling to becoming an encourager to others coming along the way. Please visit Tammy at Garden Glimpses.