This beautiful chain of love that had transformed more than one person’s soul all began when I let go of my white-knuckle grip on the situation, and turned my open palms upward to God in an act of surrender.
My sixth child, Joseph, had been born under difficult circumstances, and then a problem with his lungs landed him in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
I knew exactly how to handle this: I would be strong.
I spent all day at the hospital, then, at home, I’d stay up until the wee hours of the morning catching up on housework and other chores. I stumbled through the NICU floor and through the rooms of my home exhausted and bleary-eyed, forcing myself to keep doing it all because that’s what strong moms do.
To help him heal, I wanted Joseph to be held as much as possible.
I tried extending my hours at the hospital, covering all the times of day that my husband couldn’t be there, but I didn’t last very long. With five children who needed me at home, I broke down under the pressure.
I sent out a desperate plea to all friends and family members, asking them to come hold my baby.
And you know what? I felt guilty as I typed those emails. Continue here....
-- Jennifer Fulwiler
