Another Wonky Day

It was another heavy day at Heartline.  We still have a very sick baby.  Same baby from last week.

We also had to drain a painful staph infection on one of the girls we love.  She was crying and scared. 

In the midst of the madness, sadness, and chaos we got to meet Esther Havens.

Those of you who love photography might instantly have an elevated heart rate.  Those of you who don't list photography as one of your hobbies, can check out Esther's work here.  Esther travels and tells the stories of people like the women we love and serve at Heartline.  She tells their stories with her camera.  Check out her work and be inspired.

Have I ever told you that my name for the girl I never had was Haven?  In the middle of so many other things today I decided Esther should name her daughter Haven.  She can only have a baby after she's married, because Haven Havens would be stupid.  So I went ahead and picked her out a husband too.

I didn't tell Esther that I named her unborn imaginary daughter, chose her husband, decided she could not get pregnant out of wedlock and that she must be willing to take on her husband's last name no matter how famous she gets.  I didn't tell her all that because we just met...and Aaron reminds me regularly to only let my crazy out in manageable spurts.

Today was stressful and yuck in a lot of ways.  Sick babies make me sad.  Seeing young, teen mothers who have already been through a lifetime's worth of pain in more pain just about does me in.  But there were so many moments today when I was extremely proud of the people I get to work with at Heartline.  Their lives teach me.  Watching them is an undeserved gift.  I love these people.  God has knit our hearts together.  Deep knots.  Strong ones.  Without that obvious, key piece of truth, incredibly hard days like today would be impossible.

Hopeless situations...this baby...a teen mom with a severe staph infection...God provided people to pray, skilled medical personnel, a state-side doctor to oversee the care, Real Hope for Haiti to take our sick baby, Tara to cry and mourn with those who were mourning and scared, a room full of people to fight and advocate for these women and their babies.

I am reminded in moments like these that God loves these women.  He loves their babies.  He listens to the cries of the poor.  He  hears.  He works on their behalf.

How great is His love.

My brain feels like day-old oatmeal.

I'm sure you can tell that by how random this post is.   

Esther Havens should never have to share a post with a staph infection.

There's the random again.

Please.  Someone.  Make it stop.