The Constancy of Change

I saw my friend Marianne yesterday, in fact I sought her out. I was dropping off my two youngest girls at Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Marianne's church. My kids have been attending VBS there every summer for years. They put on a really elaborate week long event. Anyway, I was looking for Marianne because a little over a year ago, she was in my same predicament. Her youngest girl was 10 and she found herself pregnant. She had told me what a struggle it was for her. I had visited Marianne a few weeks ago, under the guise of seeing her new house and new baby, but really to tell her about my pregnancy and my fears. It was a great comfort to talk to her about it, now I wanted to see how she was faring. I came around a corner and spied her at the bottom of the stairs. She had her baby boy, Tucker in a front pack and was talking with a small group of constantly changing women as they stopped to look at the baby or ask how she was doing or join the conversation. In fact, as I descended the stairs to where she was, I caught bits and pieces of several conversations that she was having with others. She stopped briefly to say hello to me and introduce me to several of the changing stream of women. I have to say, listening to her give her update reminded me of all her challenges this last year. Soon after Tucker was born, her Dad died after a very long illness and she had been by his side during both his illness and dying process. Financial challenges caused them to sell their house late in her pregnancy so they are still settling into their new home, which she dubbed, "the money pit." I watched Marianne as she told her story. The past year must have been hell for her, she looked a little tired, perhaps even a little older, but she was still her bright and chipper self- and she has a beautiful little baby boy. She spoke of her blessings and God's faithfulness in the face of change. Life does have a way of carrying on. I imagined myself with an infant strapped to my chest and was comforted by the image. Comforted too, by Marianne's courage in the face of change, in the face of life and death.