Mmm, Guadelejara...

Yep, that was me...

...does look like I'd eaten a few too many #9's (see below). Actually, as I recall, I was so large that I had to stretch my maternity shirt in order to get it to cover the watermelon I was hiding... I mean, my belly!

Ok, that was just for fun...

Onward...

So, the other day, I not only got to have my favorite tamale and cheese enchilada combination at Guadelejara ("I'll take the #9, thankyou!"), but I was also able to re-meet and thank my fabulous OB nurse, whose quick thinking (coupled with God's grace), saved my extremely fragile life after Zane's birth. Kind of a strange feeling to be "indebted" in such a mortal way.
***Neither of these nurses pictured here, were actually the one that saved my life (I guess I don't have one of her), but, "they all helped in providing exceptional patient care and outstanding patient satisfaction," says my marketing husband.***

I didn't actually recognize her as I was a wee bit "under the weather" in the circumstance, but, since Scott occasionally sees her at the hospital, he was able to point her out to me ("see that lady, over by the jar full of candy? She's the one who saved your life!" (I know the picture of me is a bit gross, but in my defense, it was kind of a yucky time- despite the fact that this was quite a few hours after the "real" excitement of the morning).

As a (very exciting) sidenote, I will never forget the odd feeling of waking up, looking at the clock, and realizing that 6 hours or more had passed since the last time I'd been somewhat coherent.

I guess meeting her, just left me feeling a bit hmmm....in awe, maybe? Grateful, maybe? Thoughtful, perhaps? Grateful for the medical know-how of the team that worked with me. Awe that so many things were timed so perfectly for my safety...location of doctors, understanding of nurses, perfect match blood resources in a fairly small hospital, even the fact that I was even there in the hospital...instead of driving there or stuck back in our (at the time) very rural home. Thoughtful, that my life was spared, while other special people were taken home to the Lord during the months that followed.

The list could of course, go on and on- but I'll spare you! :)

At any rate, I am a prime example of God's grace and mercy. Wow! How about that! So many times over this past year and a half, I have wondered at that! God's grace and mercy! God's provisions for me! I've wondered- how many times does God provide for us in an unreasonably perfect way- a way that we may or may not even realize (Jeanne, if you read this, I know you could drum up about a hundred ways!) Even at this point, I am only dimly aware, and through retrospect and family tales only, of all the amazing ways God provided for me on one single eventful day- February 6, 2008.

So, long story even longer...

I'm so glad we went to Guadelejara. Not only did the sunny chairs and great Mexican food make my day, but being able to thank the lady that kicked up the action in the maternity floor on a cold winter's night was certainly a bright spot, as well...

I'm so glad to be here for this:

and this:

and this:
and this:
and this:
So, now I'm wondering, how has God shown grace and mercy to you? I'd love to know!