accident and submission.

On Saturday, my Sister-in-law, Tamra and 3 younger kids were hit in an auto accident. The younger two were fine, Tamra was sent to the emergency room to check for internal bleeding and Eliana was not good. Tamra was later released and is bruised, swollen and sore. Eli had hemorrhaging in her brain and the neurosurgeon had to drill a hole in the base of her skull to drain the blood and also be able to monitor her in case they needed to act quickly. This morning the neurosurgeons said the bleeding has stopped and the swelling is in the area she was hit in the accident. She is also responding to questions. If they ask her to move her feet or hands she can. She is still sedated and has a tracheotomy and a feeding tube. Compared to how she was when admitted, God has done some amazing work in her body. If you pray, please remember my brother and family.

They live in Austin, Texas. A long way from Kansas, and it is hard not being there, even though there is nothing I can do. I have tried to be patient with not going ahead and making the trip down there, but I might have pushed it a bit more then I thought I was.... which leads to the submission part of this post.

Part of me has no desire to make the drive and go sit in the hospital, but the rest of me wants to be there and helping with the other kids, or what ever I could do to help-which at this point-honestly I don't think is anything but take a seat in the waiting room. Well... in marriage, there is always more then one personality at work. Since we all do have different personalities this looks different in marriages, but as the wife, we are to be respectful. Our husbands crave respect like us wives crave being loved. The respect part is why submission is so important for a healthy marriage. Submission isn't being walked over - it is much harder then that. It is being patient, yielded. Yielding is tough, it is intentionally giving up physical control, allowing someone else to maintain authority. Which, honestly, sometimes I just want to do what I want to do... but if you have been married very long, you know that this can typically cause tension in marriage. Does it mean that the husband is always right? No, but it means that I don't rush and make decisions with out him, or try to push my decision onto him. So last night, as I lay down, and there was some tension, I realized I had tried to talk him into us going now more then I should have. ouch! I'm so glad it is a new day and and there are new mercies.

*photo of echinacea growing in the front yard. hang and dry in a warm dark place. It should be dry in 3 days.