As a mom, grandmother, and former teacher, I’ve experienced great joy in caring for and guiding the children in my life. But with enjoyment came a great sense of responsibility for keeping them safe. With young children, I could easily childproof my house by removing dangerous items and covering electrical plugs. But as they matured, left home, and began making decisions for themselves, it became hard if not impossible to make sure their environment was safe. Still, like most Moms, regardless of how mature my children became, I retained that strong desire to protect them.
The Lost Child
My nurturing and protecting instincts were tested in 2005 when our family moved across the country to Northern California. After much discussion and prayer as a family, we decided to let our sons Zac and Cody remain in Kansas because they had both graduated and had jobs. Shortly after we moved, I faced one of the greatest fears a mom could face, a missing child, my son Zac! As I am writing this my eyes are filling with tears. I am getting that awful pit in my stomach because it is still so vivid in my memory!
The Search
My husband contacted our son Cody to get his help. Everything in me wanted to catch a flight back there and search for him myself!! For several days this thought consumed my mind. We prayed continually and contacted everyone we knew but without any answers. Finally, good news came from our son Cody! He called to say that he had made searching for his brother his top priority. Through several channels, Cody found out that Zac had taken a bus to Kentucky to see the young lady who would eventually be his wife. We were emotionally drained but so thankful to have found him safe! Back then, how could we know that thirteen years later in 2018, we would experience another dramatic event? But the next time, I was the one who would need protection.
Revisiting the Mama Eagle
In my last blog I wrote about eagles and how important to me the image of God as a mother eagle has become. Both eagle parents care for and feed their babies, but the mother eagle takes the role of the constant nurturer and fierce protector of her young. I love Psalm 91, a beautiful song comparing God to a mother eagle who watches over us and protects us through all the events of our lives. Many times I have prayed and witnessed God’s protection over my family, just like when my oldest son was missing.
Psalm 91:4 says “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” Two years ago, God clearly demonstrated his protection to us in the middle of the night. At 1:15 am my husband Steve got up in the night to use the bathroom and returned to bed just in time to hear funny noises coming from my side of the bed.
Rescue and Perfect Timing
Steve spoke to me without any response. He turned on the light to find that I had gone into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, with previous EMT training, Steve knew what to do. He picked me up and placed me on the floor. He dialed 911, put the phone on speaker and began doing chest compressions. Because we lived twenty minutes from town, the compressions had to last for 18 minutes before the first responder arrived. He took over and continued them for 5 more minutes. Then the EMT’s arrived and it was not until after the 8th shock that my husband, Steve, heard them say “We have a pulse, it’s weak but we’ve got one!”
The timing of Steve’s trip to the bathroom was definitely the timing of God! If he had gotten up five minutes earlier or later, I would not have survived to continue to enjoy more days with my family and friends at Eagle’s Nest, the name we gave our home!
As women seeking after God’s heart, our homes are our “nests,” becoming that setting where we place our feathers of nurture and protection for our families. God weaves into our “nest” His love and compassion where He teaches us the true meaning of what it is to serve one another out of love for Him.
