We finally had our first night at home. Tag was up much of the night with what Joann thought was an upset stomach. She thought it may have been because her milk was tainted with two chocolate cookies she had eaten after dinner last night. Tag not liking chocolate milk? That simply cannot be the answer.
This morning, though, Tag was happy and bright-eyed. At about 8:30AM I had the great pleasure of laying on the couch with my knees up and putting him on my legs where he could look at me and his surroundings. We just hung out together for about 45 minutes. We talked about Christmas and I reminded him that Brintons have always been believers in Santa Claus and so he'd better get on board.
I had to go to Salt Lake for some business, but when I returned I arranged a video Skype call with Tag's cousins in Northern California (my sister Darcie's girls, Tennie, Adele & Ceci). They laughed and asked great questions about his mass. Ceci (5 years old) exclaimed, "Mom, I saw him touch it!" He also was introduced to his Grandma (Julie Brinton), who lives in St. George, UT via a Skype video call. He was in rare form.
The women in our local church have been bringing us wonderful meals since getting home which is a welcome relief to Joann and Marina after a long week at the hospital. Thanks ladies!
This morning I was reading one of my favorite writers, John Eldridge, and he was talking about the situation we find ourselves in as human beings, and I thought it worth sharing, especially after the events of little Tag's birth...
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Once more, lend a mythic eye to your situation. Let your heart ponder this:
You awake to find yourself in the middle of a great and terrible war. It is, in fact, our most desperate hour. Your King and dearest Friend calls you forth. Awake, come fully alive, your good heart set free and blazing for him and for those yet to be rescued. You have a glory that is needed. You are given a quest, a mission that will take you deep into the heart of the kingdom of darkness, to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron so that your people might be set free from their bleak prisons. He asks that you heal them. Of course, you will face many dangers; you will be hunted.
Would you try and do this alone?
Something stronger than Fate has chosen you. Evil will hunt you. And so a Fellowship must protect you.
Honestly, though he is a very brave and true Hobbit, Frodo hasn’t a chance without Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He will need his friends. And you will need yours. You must cling to those you have, you must search wide and far for those you do not yet have. You must not go alone. From the beginning, right there in Eden, the Enemy’s strategy has relied upon a simple aim: Divide, and conquer. Get them isolated, and take them out.
You see this sort of thing at the center of every great story. Dorothy takes her journey with the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Lion, and of course, Toto. Maximus rallies his little band and triumphs over the greatest empire on earth. When Captain John Miller is sent deep behind enemy lines to save Private Ryan, he goes in with a squad of men. And, of course, Jesus had the Twelve. This is written so deeply on our hearts: You must not go alone. The Scriptures are full of such warnings, but until we see our desperate situation, we hear it as an optional religious assembly for an hour on Sunday mornings.
Imagine you are surrounded by a small company of friends who know you well (characters, to be sure, but they love you, and you have come to love them). They understand that we are all at war, know that the purposes of God are to bring a man or woman fully alive, and are living by sheer necessity and joy in the Four Streams. They fight for you, and you for them. Imagine you could have a little fellowship of the heart. Would you want it, if it were available?
That is our destiny.
You awake to find yourself in the middle of a great and terrible war. It is, in fact, our most desperate hour. Your King and dearest Friend calls you forth. Awake, come fully alive, your good heart set free and blazing for him and for those yet to be rescued. You have a glory that is needed. You are given a quest, a mission that will take you deep into the heart of the kingdom of darkness, to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron so that your people might be set free from their bleak prisons. He asks that you heal them. Of course, you will face many dangers; you will be hunted.
Would you try and do this alone?
Something stronger than Fate has chosen you. Evil will hunt you. And so a Fellowship must protect you.
Honestly, though he is a very brave and true Hobbit, Frodo hasn’t a chance without Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He will need his friends. And you will need yours. You must cling to those you have, you must search wide and far for those you do not yet have. You must not go alone. From the beginning, right there in Eden, the Enemy’s strategy has relied upon a simple aim: Divide, and conquer. Get them isolated, and take them out.
You see this sort of thing at the center of every great story. Dorothy takes her journey with the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Lion, and of course, Toto. Maximus rallies his little band and triumphs over the greatest empire on earth. When Captain John Miller is sent deep behind enemy lines to save Private Ryan, he goes in with a squad of men. And, of course, Jesus had the Twelve. This is written so deeply on our hearts: You must not go alone. The Scriptures are full of such warnings, but until we see our desperate situation, we hear it as an optional religious assembly for an hour on Sunday mornings.
Imagine you are surrounded by a small company of friends who know you well (characters, to be sure, but they love you, and you have come to love them). They understand that we are all at war, know that the purposes of God are to bring a man or woman fully alive, and are living by sheer necessity and joy in the Four Streams. They fight for you, and you for them. Imagine you could have a little fellowship of the heart. Would you want it, if it were available?
That is our destiny.
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As Tag has led Joann and I into this adventure, we have certainly felt this "fellowship of friends" and we simply could not do this alone. Thank you friends for your support. I pray my son will learn this important principle as he moves through life.
I think Mitch better go into public broacasting. Good writing Mitch.
ReplyDeleteIt was so fun meeting Tag on Skype, and in 5 days we get to meet him LIVE! The girls can't wait to see and touch Tag's "bump", and of course wiggle his fingers and toes.
ReplyDeleteI love the thoughts on fellowship. Thanks for sharing.
Darcie
Mitch is my hero....and it is so cool to hear him say "my son".
ReplyDelete