Prayers, Please

My mama is #6 of seven kids. There were four boys in a row and then three girls born within 3 years of each other. Mama is close to her sisters. Small houses make for close families and that little house in Cohutta without indoor plumbing... and later on that house on Merry Lane that still wasn't big enough for all of 'em... at Camp Orr, the Boy Scout Camp where my grandfather was caretaker was small, but at least we had the amenities to spread out and enjoy... and later on at the farm in Hogansville which was more gigantic garden with a single wide trailer than it was a farm... and then the other assorted little houses they all grew up in and lived in as adults, even, well, they fostered close relationships.  

At any rate... you can imagine... with seven kids in her family... our extended family is large. I think I counted around a hundred after the last reunion (that may be an exaggeration but there's still a lot). We don't see each other as often as we'd like and when we all get together it's chaos. Not chaos in that crazy big Greek family way (we're mostly Baptists with a sprinkling of Presbyterians and Catholics - get it? sprinkling? No?) Anyways... we're not big drinkers so there's never that alcohol induced dysfunction - our dysfunction is purely organic and our chaos is not hard partying but just a lot of different conversations branching out in a lot of different ways between a lot of people. 

And then there's this... one happy little Christmas with my ever nimble Steel Magnolia (who, although she is my dad's mom, has always been a part of mom's extended family gatherings, too, whenever possible) she is perched on the edge of the couch in my tragically mallard duck/hunter green themed great room... and there's my dad and then, enjoying the 3-D Holiday Experience is my Uncle Charles, husband to my Aunt Linda, mama's younger sister, the youngest of the seven.

And tomorrow... Uncle Charles is having a very long and serious operation to remove a gnarly cancer that had the audacity to grow in his esophagus and we, all nearly hundred of us in the extended Pennington clan truly covet your prayers for him tomorrow. Pray that God would anoint each member of the medical staff that comes in contact with him, that every precaution will be taken, that there will be no errors, that everyone who crosses his path will be wrought with compassion for him, that the surgery - which is expected to last ten hours - results in the best possible outcome, an outcome that would be miraculous, even. Pray for these Pennington sisters who sit together for those long hours tomorrow, that they will not feel tired or anxious or sore from sitting. Pray that they will feel strengthened and than instead of a time of fear, that it will be a time of homecoming, reunion and rejoicing. Pray that their joy is greater than what would make sense for the circumstances - peace that passes understanding. Pray for their comfort and safety as they come and go. Pray for Linda and Charles' kids and grandkids, that their burdens will be lifted, that they will feel peace from the beginning of the day, not just at the end. Pray for a swift and complete recovery and for a good, blessed, amazing, miraculous outcome. Would you agree with me on these things? 

My role in this is minor. I am no longer the able bodied person who has the ability to even entertain such an extended hospital visit. I'm working just a very few hours a week and it's just not possible to risk missing any of those hours to wait at the hospital or to miss any work due to the kind of rebound pain that I would have from sitting with the sisters all day. My job is to make sure the fur-babies are taken care of since mom won't be home to tend to them... and my job is to pick up Marquee from school if Cody isn't home from work in time. And although I know these are minor, minor chores in the grand scheme of things but if I could ask for your prayers as I will have to hold off on taking any pain medicine until I have Marquee home safe and sound at 6:30pm or so. My work days have been so incredibly painful lately that I'm in tears most days until I can get in my cozy pjs and get some pain meds on board... this will mean delaying that relief for about four extra hours. 

Thank you in advance for your concern and prayers for Uncle Charles. I'll let you know when I know something. 

And since we have covered this heavy, serious topic, can we discuss the tacky hunter green carpet in that picture? The carpet that I picked out? I should probably enlist the assistance of someone with better taste than me to handle the interior design on my space at the mountain house to avoid such cringe-worthy photos in the future. 

Time to settle in and hopefully be asleep before midnight. Love and hugs, y'all.