Sunday

24 November 1990...our second son was induced...two weeks overdue. I think he may well have been there a few more  years if not cajoled out by the kind midwife. I remember having a secret thought that this may be a girl...my mum and I were so close I dreamt of having a special relationship with a daughter.

It was minutes after Tom was born I found myself looking into beautiful deep brown eyes...they were saying "you are MY mummy...loud and clear. The intensity of that look will remain with me forever...I was 'sold' to this incredible soul, daughter who needs a daughter I remember thinking.

Thomas Samuel James was the easiest of babies, forever hungry he grew fast and furious...a little 'chubster', a gorgeous cuddly son. Simon just 20 months older adored his baby brother.

Over the years they grew up teasing, wrestling, playing and loving each other together with the two extra brothers added in the next few years. Pete is one of four boys and we repeated the family when our fourth son Andrew was born.

My prayer was always that our boys would grow up to be as close as their dad and his brothers were. My prayers have been answered as the boys are incredibly close. Whenever they are together they giggle incessantly, bound in a love deeper than the Ocean. It is one of our greatest joys as parents witnessing their awesome relationship.

Tom has been dubbed over the years as 'the golden child', by his siblings. We love each of sons the same,the boys themselves recognise that Tom is most like his dad, and apart from a couple of his teenage years going slightly astray, he has always been a wonderful son and brother.

Independent and wise, he has studied hard, worked his way through university without any help from
us, got a 2:1 in Maths, met his soulmate and got married, paying for their own beautiful and romantic wedding at 23 years of age.


Whilst at uni Tom Tom, as we nicknamed him long before the sat nav was on the market, discovered he had a 'hind brain hernia' ...a genetic condition you are born with. He explained to us on a visit back from uni, two years ago, that he had to have an operation to have the hernia lazered, to reduce the enlarged tonsils that were falling into the top of his spinal chord...blocking the spinal fluid so it doesn't flow as it should. The operation would involve opening the brain up to get access in order to reduce them down to unblock it.

Although it was a scary proposition, the consequences of a large sneeze could have resulted in anything from the loss of swallowing to paralysed limbs. As his mum I suggested he have the operation the following week, without delay. I went into panic mode.

Witnessing the wisdom and faith of my then 21 year old, I was thankful to God that Tom knew Jesus as His personal Saviour.

He replied with immense Peace ..."Mum I want to finish my degree, then have the operation. I trust in God, if anything happens I know that I've had 21 amazing years...more than some people experience in a lifetime....I know I will live as long as I am meant to, and I really trust in that."

I remember being relieved and overwhelmed at his steadfast trust in Our Lord, but selfishly fearful that we may lose our son, or that he may end up in a wheelchair."

Today I watch in awe as he faces the operation this Wednesday. He continues to trust unswervingly...Praise God.

Two years on he has not suffered anymore than headaches when sneezing,only the original numbness down one side evidence of the 'Arnold's Charia'. Hallelujah.

A few weeks ago a recovered addict and born again Christian was praying with Tom and I about people suffering from addictions. We had never met this man before. When this lovely guy finished
praying he said, "I know this sounds a bit strange, but as soon as I started praying, God gave me a picture of birds flying round and round someone's head making them feel dizzy...do you know anyone that has something wrong with their brain or mind?".

I had tears running down my cheeks, God was confirming He was on the case. He is in control. We hoped it may mean Tom would be healed miraculously without surgery. For a while he had no pain on sneezing. Recently the headaches have returned but we are content that The Lord has given us hope that He is walking with Tom on This journey. We knew that but it is always good to know that The Lord knows how important it is to us to have that concrete evidence.

The day is dawning, thankfully the procedure has a high success rate, especially as Tom is younger. Tom and Jemimah his beautiful wife are outwardly peaceful and serene. I know they have been praying together, trusting in Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am trusting, but today I feel emotional in a tearful way. Pete is reacting differently these past few days, a sign that he is anxious beneath his outward demure.

I know The Lord is going ahead of Tom, I know this is 'His timing'. I am trusting in 'His Will'  for Tom. I have learnt over the years that God can be trusted fully in All things.

My prayer is for Peace for Tom and Jemimah as they pray together and walk in faith. I pray for Pete and my other sons to get closer to God as they pray for their brother. I pray that as Tom's mum and Jemimah's mother in law I can be what they need me to be, hoping to keep strong for them both, up to and during the operation...and beyond. The future is not ours to determine, but we can rest in His everlasting arms as we walk into the unknown.

Please God I pray that it will be 'Your Will' that Thomas will live to serve You and testify to your infinite Love for many years to come. I pray he will recover quicker than we could ever imagine, and that he will go onto experience many more years of joyous living and that one day him and Jem will be blessed with their own special family, as you have truly Blessed us with ours. Amen x