Glimmers of Hope pt. 3

One final story to share with you this week. Just before I got to my haircut the other day, I ran into another ESL student, Claudia. She approached me apologizing for not having been at the graduation party the previous evening.

"Teacher, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there, I knew I was supposed to bring something, but we have had some hard times this week. My brother's wife was pregnant with twins and she had them on Monday. They took them both out by c-section and they are fine. They're big! But the mother got preeclampsia and her blood pressure dropped. they gave her transfusions of blood and gave her a shot to raise her pressure, but she lost so much blood. She died. Now the babies will grow up without a mother."

Ugh. I couldn't believe it. I told her how our friend passed away a few years ago now during the birth of their first son. Such heartache at the loss of a life with the simultaneous joy of new life is hard to stomach.

She told me that the couple had been married for just one year. Before I could offer to pray for her, she asked if I would. I said that I would and that I would tell our church to also be praying too. I told her also that should they need anything in the future to please find us.

So, as we pray for their family, I pass them on to you as well. It seems this has been an especially tough winter for so many. As we wait for the coming of Christ this Advent season, I find myself yearning more strongly for the second Advent. Lord, come to your people, call your sheep unto your fold, restore our broken world. Amen, Come Lord Jesus.