Peace in the storm

I knew it was more serious than her making her usual song and dance over a graze when I saw the ominous drop of congealing blood sitting over her vein in her forearm but it took me a minute to realize that it was probably bone poking through rather than the vein punctured.  She had fallen off a trampoline at a friend's house and there was a nasty looking unnatural bulge that demanded a call to 000.

We could hear the ambulance arriving sirens blaring down the road and knew it was coming for us but surprisingly I felt quite calm.  Not exactly what I had had in mind when I had prayed earlier that day that God  would give us peace and the ability to deal with whatever emergencies or unexpected things came up that day.

A few weeks ago I was reading a chapter in this book about how unexpected things come up in our days, emergencies, unplanned events etc and how one of the ways we can simplify our lives is to pray beforehand that whatever happens in our day, we will have the peace and resources to handle it.

It was an extra-ordinary day, a day with a very unexpected ending.  Kelly, Julie and Tasha the paramedics who came to our aid were amazing.  Kelly turned out to be a school mum of twins in the class above Lillipilli at our school and after a good sniff of fentolin up the nose, she chatted away to my child about school and teachers, distracting her no end.

As we walked to the ambulance, I remarked jokingly that it was probably completely inappropriate as a mum but as a blogger, I was tempted to snap off a few photos.

You totally should! cries my new friend Kelly. Here, give me the phone, I'll take some for you!  and she starts to pose with Carys on the gurney.  What a surreal and hilarious moment. There we were laughing and joking and Pikalily was straight in the ambulance looking around and asking questions.  We had to prise her out of the front seat so we could take Lillipilli to Sutherland Hospital.

To cut a long story short, we spent two nights in the hospital last week while Lillipilli had a two and a half hour operation to mend a spiral compound fracture in her ulna that was poking out of her forearm, a fracture in her elbow and a dislocated elbow.  But despite all of that, despite her pain, despite the scary nature of her having to be cleaned up under sedation and have an operation, we had amazing peace and even joy.

We were so blessed with our friends who kept the kids for us and picked up the hubster from the train station, so blessed with a plethora of doctors and nurses who looked after Lillipilli, with great pain relief, with a lovely children's ward and nurses and with a specialist who said to me a day after we came, you've got my mobile number, please just ring me if you have any concerns, I only live just down the road.  And oh how supported we felt by family and friends.  We skyped my parents from the hospital, friends came bearing gifts, hugs and prayer or sending messages via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

And now we are home, the pain is much less and you would never think to look at her that she had a massive cast on her arm.

There's a children's book on our bookshelves called Peace which describes our situation. I won't quote all of it but it starts like this....

I found myself in a storm today
and a prince called Peace came out to play
Many said "Peace you do not belong here
It's a storm and you are supposed to fear."
And I said: Well, I have to tell
Peace is a friend of the storm as well
He survives in here better than anyone can
For he knows that storms are part of the plan.

and ends like this....
Peace and I sit down and smile
Knowing the storm will be gone in a while
And we will be found safe and sound
checking on everyone else around.
And maybe they will be able to see,
Peace growing on my invisible tree.

Whatever situation you're in, whether life is good or it's falling apart, peace is available to you too and prayer works because God answers everyone who calls to him.  It may not come in the form you're looking for but peace in the storm is real, even in situations where great fear comes naturally.