RESTORING THE YEARS THE LOCUST HAVE EATEN

Thirty-eight years ago yesterday, I gave birth to my daughter Amy.  When we were first married, at the age of 23, neither Jim nor I thought we wanted children.  But by the time we had been married seven years, I had changed my mind.  It was a long time before I was able to get pregnant, but then came that glorious day when I was.  It was an awesome pregnancy and I was so excited at the prospect of being a mom.
 

I remember the night after Amy’s birth, sitting on my hospital bed, staring into the eyes of this little blond, fuzzy headed baby, my heart filling with gratitude for God’s goodness to me.  Later at home, when I was rocking her to sleep or feeding her, the joy of this great gift from God just could not be contained.

Amy was a delightful baby and an easy child to raise.  However, I know she would agree with me that her teen years were very hard on our family.  I’ve come to appreciate her “marching to the beat of a different drummer” personality now, but back then, I had no idea how to parent her.  

She loved to take risks.  Even at the tender age of two or so, she’d fearlessly climb to the top of the highest monkey bars, or stairs, without a sense of the danger.  As an adult, her risk taking has served her well, giving her the courage and determination to apply for a job she was sure she could do, though she didn’t have the required degree to qualify.  And she GOT the job too!  And most recently she moved across country, all on her own, to settle in Phoenix.

In addition to that quality, she is outgoing, gregarious and the life of any party.  Her personality is very different from the other three of us who are decidedly introverted.  We’d rather skip the party altogether.  While we are introverted and sedentary, she loves being with people and is always on the go.  

While we are content with reading and other quiet pursuits, she has an interest level that is just off the charts.  At different times in her life she has hiked, drawn, and made her own cards.  As an adult, she’s recently purchased her own power tools so she can make furniture, and built a chicken coop in her back yard for raising her own chickens.  She’s done demo on various apartments and then installed appliances and kitchen cabinets.  Whatever of her various interests I can remember, it doesn’t do justice to all the things she’s done that I can’t remember.

Given the differences between her personality and ours, maybe it’s not surprising that we would butt heads when she reached her teens.  I don’t need to give details, but suffice it to say that those years were terrible – scary, discouraging, angry, depressing and disappointing years.  Our mother/daughter relationship was strained and hard.  I wasn’t sure we’d ever get over it.

Amy moved out at 18 and started a life of her own.  It wasn’t easy for her, but her risk taking personality and her fierce independence carried her through – and she not only made it – she succeeded and thrived.  And somehow, so did our relationship.

This week Amy found herself in the hospital in Phoenix with pneumonia.  Since we were in New York City for what was to be a life threatening surgery for my brother, we flew our younger daughter Becky out to be with Amy for the weekend.  When Becky had to go back home to work, Jim and I were able to fly out to be with her.  

On the way out I was a little apprehensive.  I wondered whether, once Amy began to feel better, her independent personality would make it hard for her to accept my help as she recovered.  That didn’t happen.

She was obviously sick.  She was suffering from pain in her back and chest and discomfort from a chest tube they inserted before we arrived.  She wanted someone to stay with her at night to provide comfort, so Jim and I took turns at that (he more than me!).  

On the afternoon of the day when she was finally able to go home, I found her vacuuming some area rugs out on her porch and I did what I typically don’t do with her.  I laid down the law.  I said, “If you’re not going to let me help you, I’m going home.  That’s what I’m here for.”  Amazingly, she listened to me!  And she did let me help.  It was wonderful.  I cleaned her house and she let us chauffer her around to run errands and drive her back and forth to work for a few hours.

Yesterday morning, the morning of her 38^th birthday, we prepared to leave.  It was a tearful goodbye, leaving us both sad and longing for more of one another.

On the way home, I began to think of a Bible verse someone taught on years ago.  It’s from the Old Testament prophet Joel.  Joel was prophet to the nation of Judah, warning them of impending judgment because of their sins and urging them to turn back to the Lord.  He speaks of an invasion of locusts – very likely a real invasion – but likens it to the devastation the Lord will bring on the land if Judah does not repent.  Then, in speaking of a future time of repentance when the Lord will restore her prosperity, Joel says this, in chapter 2, verse 25:

He will restore to you the years the locust have eaten.

 All I can think of this morning as we sit at the airport waiting is that the Lord has done this for Amy and me.  These new years with Amy are the fulfillment of that verse.  All those damaging, difficult, barren years have been restored and filled with love and joy as we relate to one another in a new way.  

I have seen it with my own eyes.  The Lord has done great things.