The Stingray Story

Sunday morning was beautiful. The sun was shining the air was warm and we were at the beach with our family.  The Winn kids had come with us and we were looking forward to meeting up with the Aucoin’s and Taylor’s later that day. We went out to the beach around 9:00 and we had spent hours in the ocean. We had probably gone through 2 bottles of sunscreen. We had just finished lunch. We were expecting the Aucoin’s and Jackson W. at any minute. Sophia, Aubrey, Audrey, and Jackson S. had just walked back to the beach house and were coming right back. Lydia and Braden had just run back out to the ocean. I had settled into a beach chair and Randy and Micah were walking out to join Lydia and Braden in the waves....the next thing I knew they were walking back. Randy was carrying Lydia. I thought they were so cute. Then something of panic flashed on Micah’s face. Something was wrong. As they walked closer I heard this terrible scream coming from Lydia. My soft spoken little girl was screaming. She was wild with pain. I panicked. I couldn’t think. We had assumed it was a jellyfish. Then we looked at it. There was a jagged hole and blood. Randy said that is not a jellyfish. I told Randy to run back home and to get a car. Hurry! Micah and Randy took off. It was Braden and I alone. Lydia screaming.  Call 911 flashed in my head. I scrambled for my phone. A crowd of people were gathering.  Mama’s were shooing children out of the ocean.  A lady walked over she offered help. She gave us ice. She placed her hands on Lydia and started to pray. Her husband helped me give the 911 dispatcher directions to where we were. Lydia was screaming. Then I saw the Aucoin’s.  I asked Amanda to watch the kids. Randy was back, Brent had taken him to get a car. There was the lifeguard. His radio was alerting him to a beach emergency, 12 year old female....and he was already there. The EMT came. They said something about barb in her foot. Stingray. Venom. They couldn’t do anything for the pain.  She was still screaming. She was begging them to help her. She was scared. A truck came they put Lydia in and I jumped in and they drove us to the road where an ambulance was waiting. We were whisked to the nearest hospital a half hour away in Morehead City. On the way I started to cry. It was so sad to see Lydia in so much pain. I just lost it, which made Lydia even more upset. So I quickly composed myself and did my best to comfort her. Lydia was overwhelmed with the pain from the venom. Heat brought her only comfort and it didn’t bring much, but did seem to take the edge off. She said it throbbed and it just hurt so bad. She cried and pleaded with the EMT to please give her something.....ibuprofen....anything. They told her there was nothing that would take the pain away. Heat was the best they could offer! Slowly over the next hour and a half the pain eased. Within 2 hours she was like a different person. It was amazing the transformation. So they did an X-ray and were all very happy to learn the sting ray had not left behind any fragments and they prescribed an antibiotic to preventninfection and gave us information on caring for a puncture wound and sent us on our way. We were back to the beach in time to greet the Taylor’s. Lydia was bandaged and in socks but doing amazingly well.

As I reflected in the adventure which began just before noon and concluded around 3:00....I marveled at God’s hand. He could not have orchestrated things better. Randy was right there when Lydia was stung so he was immediately able to assist her. Braden did not get stung. He was right beside Lydia, but his Mama was in Durham. That would have been a nightmare! God had us setup camp right beside a Christian. She came and offered help and ice but brought comfort and peace. Lydia kept talking about that lady with the warm hands and how much it helped her to have her praying and placing her hands on her. Randy and I were at the beach with 7 kids. Amanda and Brent arrived at exactly the right moment. They took over all the supervision. They drove Randy to get his car. It could not have worked out better. The lifeguard just “happened” to be right beside us as he got the call about Lydia. He was already there! The EMT was there right after the lifeguard arrived. They were able to remove the barb in the beach. It was crazy timing. When we got to the hospital she was put right in a room. She was taken directly to X-ray. There were no complications. She was in and out and okay!

Interestingly, Lydia had shared with some of the kids the night before that one of her biggest fears was being bitten or stung by something in the ocean. I was telling her how brave I think she is. Christ allowed this to happen and I marvel at how he went before her and am humbled by the great love he showed in his abundant provision for her in the midst of a tramatic situation. God is good and now she has a great story to share!

Teacher Appreciation

This week I have been OVERWHELMED with the love and gifts and sweet words showered on me during teacher appreciation week.  I have been simply overwhelmed with the generosity of the parents and kids at ERA.  My mind however keeps going back to my friends.  So many sweet Mama friends that are daily pouring out their lives in an attempt to not only raise their children well, but also to educate them well.  I remember well my homeschooling years.  I remember the sacrifice.  I remember the dailiness.  I remember the wondering and worrying if this was the biggest mistake of my life and I definitely remember thinking, "What about me?" during teacher appreciation week.  Does anyone know what I'm doing?  Does it matter?  Does anyone care?  Can anyone understand?  I remember longing for just one teacher workday.  I remember wishing I could get a pay check for the sacrifice and work I was putting in, and I think that is part of what made it so overwhelming.  I remember longing for the school bus to please, just this once stop at my house.  I longed for an acknowledgement of the work I was doing.  I was hungry for just a bit of validation.  I wanted to hear that I was doing a good job, I wanted to know that I was making a difference.  So my heart wants you sweet Mama's to know.  You are my people.  You are my best friends.  You are my soul sisters.  What you are doing matters!  Your kids are awesome!  You are doing such a good job!  I mean this sincerely.  You ladies are in the trenches daily.  I know a bunch of kids and some of my all time favorites are yours.  Keep going.  Keep putting in the hours.  Keep slogging through the math books.  I appreciate you ladies more then you know and am amazed at you!  I think you are fabulous!

So if you want some chocolate....stop by my house.....I have a truck load.  I'm keeping the gift cards!  I will share the apple knickknacks and home baked treasures.....and I'll even share some flowers.  First come first serve!  But friends mostly remember you are laying up treasure.  Your good works that are not seen by others are seen by our heavenly Father and not one of them will go unrewarded.  Not one.  Keep doing the good work to which He has called you.  You are doing a work with eternal value.  Yeah...some homeschoolers give the rest a bad name.....you are not those.  You sweet friends are rocking it.  You are awesome and I love you and I hope you know one day your kids will appreciate you.  My 20 year old son that was mostly homeschooled, says now how thankful he is for that season and how he felt like it was for his best.....so even though I'm in a different chapter of life now and I have a different calling that I love and am thrilled with....I don't regret the years I put in.....and you won't either.  I hope your families celebrate you all BIG TIME tomorrow, you deserve it!