A mother's life-giving womb - LIFE of Silence

On the road as the sun was rising - thinking as a mother on her giving birth day would... "It's Nancy's birthday today and that means special in every way!   Look, Pat, at the beautiful sunrise even through the dirty windows of the pickup.  Look at the windmills turning in the wind on this chilly morning before another winter storm is predicted.  What do they say... 'Red in the morning, sailors take warning?'  Remember that her birthday has been on Good Friday a couple of times over the last 32 years, but never on Easter?  Then in 2005 on this day Blessed John Paul II died, and in a few weeks he will be Saint John Paul the Great!  And she had all that dark hair at birth - we called her 'Nanuk of the North' - our little Eskimo girl?  And do you remember how she was so quiet and hardly ever cried - that she slept all night the first night home from the hospital?  I must admit that she was such an angel that I worried that she would be taken from me... how could a baby be so good?" 

Nancy and Bernadette making cupcakes for Bernadette's first birthday in November.  It has been so wonderful to have Nancy on the farm more over the last year.  Since her two, soon to be three, are not in school yet she comes to the farm for part of the two weeks that Bill is away... traveling internationally with his job.  Such a treat! 
I shared before how quiet Nancy was as a small baby... and we eventually discovered that she had thick fluid behind her eardrums, so she was unable to hear much.  We noticed that she was not developing speech as she should as she got close to a year, and that is when this was discovered and after tubes - corrected!  With two calm and quiet girls to begin our family... just 16 months later Maria was #3 and all that changed, as she was a very normal baby and I learned how unusual my first two were rather than Maria being abnormally demanding and loudly crying... that is what comes with a baby usually... it just took my third one to show me that. 

 Nancy has always loved her life on the farm, and it is special that she can share it with her kids. 
As Pat and I were traveling this morning - it gave us time to do morning prayer together, and once again I was listening with those mother's ears on her giving birth day!
From the first reading in Isaiah 49:8-15  How could this not resonate?
"Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child in her womb?  Even should she forget, I will never forget you."  So special to read on this day - forever filled with LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT!

Then we read the Gospel from the amazing Gospel of John - the Gospel of LOVE!  "whoever hears my Word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal LIFE..."  John 5

Then to read the meditation for the day by Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel (1964) - how my heart soared when I read her addressing "Whoever hears my Word"

She speaks about the importance of silence... "It seems impossible to me to imagine a life lived in accordance with the Gospel that does not include both a wanting a life of silence and knowing that such a life is essential."  Wow!  How I begin to question the desire I have to find silence in my life and to sink deep into prayer and study there.  It seems that I am being a drop out and lazy when I crave this and try to carve it out for myself.  Yes, I have found a car ride a half hour each way to work with the radio off is a glorious place for this silence and prayer.  And, of course, life is not a place of silence for the most part, but if I can manage it I long to sit down with my rosary for an hour or more and truly sink into the silence of prayer and meditation! 

Yes, I am just back in from helping Pat and Paul record numbers while they vaccinated 19 calves - we are up to 110 now!  I, of course, had my camera along to record this giving birth day!

"If we pick out from the beginning of the Gospel to the end all the statements Jesus makes about the 'Word' of God- all that he says about the conditions needed for it to be 'received' and 'listened to'; for it to be 'kept,' for it to be 'done,' for it to be 'announced';- we will quickly realize that for the 'good news' to be known, lived and communicated it must be welcomed, recollected, and carried in the depth of our being.

And if our whole lives have to be made subject to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if we desire to make all his words as far as possible our guide in the circumstances of our life, this will only be possible if we make creating silence an integral part of our life."  Servant of God Madeleine Delbrel

In the calf hut - a cute one!

Jesus, I am filled with such joy at the flavor of this giving birth day!  It is a rich and wonderful taste added to all that I see and do this day!  I ask that you hold our sweet Nancy, who showed us the beauty of silence even with a newborn in the house.  Her adopted Godfather, Uncle Jerry, was so impressed by her peacefulness, that he spoke of her with great love and amazement, when he visited shortly after she was born.  She did find her voice and used it to bring LIGHT into the world as she embraced teaching high school, alternative American Indian School, and now through her blog - http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/, and teaching her children the JOY to be found in being creative, as well as the wonder of this world as shared on the farm and at home!  By doing small and humble sharings she is lighting a candle of Faith in her projects and crafts as well as in her personal sharings!  Dear Lord, give our Nancy and her family great blessings as they are soon to welcome a new son.  The best gift ever for a mother - that closeness she knows and loves each day of carrying him in her Life-giving womb... we are so blessed as women called to marriage and family!  Jesus, may we come to you in the silence of our hearts and grow in our knowledge and love of YOU.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

This nice heifer was born this morning just before we left for Pipestone.  Her name will forever be Nancy!  Another wonderful way to remember your day - come soon to meet her - her number will 110D!

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke/mom

My dimple girl, Nancy, with her little angel, Bernadette, who actually has two dimples too!  Happy Birthday!!!!  We love you so much!!!  Bless-bless, mom

Your TEC song - Testify to LOVE by Avalon