Monday, 7 November was a public holiday in Singapore. In the early morning, a telephone call came. The Swallow's nephew-in-law was having a fever and if his fever persisted, he would be unable to go to school the next day. As her sibling-in-law could not take leave off her work, and other means of care arrangement were unobtainable, she sought the Swallow's help.
The Swallow's own sibling was scheduled to arrive from Malaysia that afternoon with her family. Her sibling's mate was coming to Singapore for a few days for a training session and the rest of the family was tagging along. Initially, the Swallow had planned to spend more time with her sibling while both mates were at work and her own young ones were at school. She had looked forward to the extra time with her niece and nephew as they were growing up so quickly. However, she agreed to care for her nephew-in-law on Tuesday if he had not recovered.
That Monday evening, the Swallow and her family went to the hotel where her sibling's family was staying. The young ones were very excited to see each other again. The young-at-heart ones were more controlled in their exuberance, but the joy was there nonetheless. Her nephew had learnt to walk, and the Swallow whipped out a camera to capture the moments she had missed when he had first started. There he was, looking into the camera and smiling broadly as the Swallow took many shots of him. The Swallow also took several shots of her camera-shy niece when she wasn't looking.
Just before leaving for dinner at a restaurant in a nearby shopping complex, the Swallow's nephew suddenly prostrated himself on the carpeted floor. Putting it down as a case of tiredness after a day's travel, he was removed from the floor, placed into his cot, and given a small bit of grape to chew while the rest of his family got ready.
Then he started vomiting.
Everyone thought he had gagged on the small bit of grape. The Swallow's sibling cleaned up her young one. Her sibling's mate called the hotel's housekeeping unit for assistance. The Swallow and her mate chipped in to help. The remaining young ones distracted each other.
When all was finally calm, everyone left to meet a relative for dinner. At the restaurant, the Swallow's nephew threw up again. Noting the discomfort he was in, the parents decided to bring him to see a doctor. Due to the public holiday however, the clinic at the shopping complex was closed. So her nephew followed his mother back to the hotel to rest while her niece remained with her father.
Even with the anxiety over her nephew's well-being, dinner was a relaxed affair. At the end of the dinner, an order for a takeaway meal was placed for the Swallow's sibling. Before its arrival though, her sibling-in-law received a call that his young one was still vomiting. Advised to bring the young one to a well-known children's hospital, he rushed back to the hotel, leaving his other young one with the Swallow's family. When the Swallow's family returned to the hotel later, they had missed a lift, but coming out of the next lift was the Swallow's sibling, her sibling's mate and her nephew! The Swallow's sibling was able to receive the takeover meal. Hugs were shared, words of encouragement were uttered and promises of prayer were made. It was arranged that the Swallow's niece would stay with her in the meantime.
The Swallow's nephew had caught a stomach flu bug. He was discharged from the hospital near midnight but by then, the Swallow's sibling had also started vomiting. Coupled with diarrhoea, she had to visit the adjacent well-known women's hospital.
In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, her niece started vomiting. The vomiting persisted over the next hour and they wondered what they should do. Although there were 24-hours clinics near her nest, her niece's passport was with the parents. Seeking the Lord God in prayer before calling the parents, they sought His wisdom to find the necessary words to communicate the situation to them without raising an alarm. The Swallow's sibling was then waiting for her own discharge and medication. Several calls later, it was decided that the Swallow and her mate would bring her niece to a hospital closer to her nest, and her sibling and her sibling's mate would meet them there. The Swallow's older young one was kept informed on what was happening, and was given needful instructions for staying at home. Her other young one slept on peacefully.
At the hospital, the Swallow carried her nephew while her sibling, exhausted from her own ailments, crashed out on the hospital seats in the waiting room. The Swallow's mate and sibling-in-law took turns to stay with her niece in the observation ward. Over the next few hours, they would feed her blackcurrant juice intermittently and the hospital personnel would observe her response and condition. When her nephew woke up several hours later, her sibling's mate took care of him while the Swallow joined her mate in the observation ward.
Through it all, at the back of the Swallow's mind was the thought of having to care for her nephew-in-law the next day. How was she going to cope with a feverish child after a sleepness night? Would she be able to return home in time to receive him? She could only cast her anxiety upon her Lord each time the thought came forefront.
Dawn was breaking when they were told that her niece could be discharged. The Swallow had just called her young one on the phone, waking him from his slumber and delegating him the task of getting his younger sibling ready for school. The Swallow returned home in time to bring her young one to school.
Her sibling and sibling's young ones stayed with the Swallow's family for the rest of their visit. Although not a situation she would have wished on anyone, the Swallow was grateful for the extra time with her sibling. Her sibling's mate had also caught the stomach flu bug, but he was able to carry on with his training session with a little medication. The Swallow's mate managed to obtain an urgent leave from his work, which gave him a chance to catch up with his sleep. Although he had caught a cold while moving in an out of the air-conditioned observation ward, he was spared the stomach flu bug. The Swallow too was spared the stomach flu bug, and when her sibling-in-law called to tell her that her help was no longer required as her nephew-in-law had recovered, she rejoiced and praised her Heavenly Father who knew how much she could endure. She praised Him for providing a way of escape for her, for He alone knew what she would have yet to endure over the latter days when her own young ones caught the stomach flu bug as well, and her mate's cold worsen.
How the Swallow, her mate, her young ones, her sibling and her sibling's family went through those days is a real experience of the Lord's grace and faithfulness. He had heard and answered their prayers. He had showered them with His strength to endure the wearying hours. He had sustained them with His comfort and His peace through the anxious times. He had given them wisdom each step of the way. He had granted them unity of mind and spirit, to come alongside each other and to encourage one another.
Yesterday afternoon, the Swallow received an SMS from her older young one who was in Malaysia on a school trip, and was scheduled to return to Singapore this morning. He had informed her that he was vomiting. He had also asked her to pray as he was afraid his condition would aggravate the motion sickness he usually suffers for long journeys.
Her first thought was how far away he was from her. Her second was how helpless she was, unable to respond to him at his time of need. Then her eyes were drawn to her young one's photo, and the words inscribed at the bottom, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46 : 1 (NIV)". She could only fall to knees, and pray, "Lord, not my will, but Yours be done. Lord, not my name but Yours be praised. We seek Your comfort upon our son. We know You are with him. Help him to know it too. We seek Your help for us to keep trusting You, no matter what happens."
Passing on the bible verse to her young one, she hopes that through this situation, he will also find the reality of the Lord God in his life experiences, and yearn for a closer walk with Him. For the Swallow, it is yet another glimpse of the wonderful Lord God who has chosen her, and whom she has chosen to call "my Heavenly Father".
I JUST KEEP TRUSTING MY LORD (author unknown)
I just keep trusting my Lord as I walk along
I just keep trusting my Lord and He gives a song
Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!
He's a faithful friend, such a faithful friend
I can count on Him to the very end
Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!
I just keep trusting my Lord on the narrow way
I just keep trusting my Lord as He leads each day
Though the road is weary at times and I'm sad and blue
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will see me through!
He's a faithful guide, such a faithful guide
He is always there, walking by my side
Though the road is weary at times and I'm sad and blue
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will see me through!
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