The Time Matthew Went Blind

Well, actually he's pretty blind as it is, but for 5 fateful minutes, I considered getting him LASIK surgery MUCH earlier than expected.

But first let's start with a cute picture of my kids and I loving on each other after 5 days apart. I may have been in heaven on the whole ride back to my in-laws house from the airport with them on either side of me eager to intertwine their arms with mine and then fall sweetly asleep. Once we spent some lovely time in Maui, we had a couple of days to enjoy time all together.

I was excited to go to a beach with my babes somewhere I could actually feel my feet if I went in the water. The weather Thursday was overcast and slightly cool for Hawaii standards and Friday wasn't promising to be much better so I told the kids they should pray for sunshine. Heavenly Father always listens to the prayers of children. So each of us in our turn prayed that we could go to the beach the next day, and as if He were smiling down from above, Friday morning opened picture perfect.

We didn't know when it would change, so not wanting to miss our divine opportunity, we went to the beach (sans Grandpa) right after breakfast. Just like Mother Marler had told me, Boy Howdy was fearless in the water. He was easily in up to his chest so when a wave came by, we was often being swallowed by the ocean. I took my turn as his personal assistant: there at a moment's notice to pull him up from the jaws of death only to have him eager for more, but after several minutes I needed a break on the shore.

Enter Matthew to take up the cause. Now, Matthew is by far a superior swimmer compared to me, but he also desperately needs eye-wear. Desperately. So, when a sneaker wave pulled his glasses into the briney deep as he was saving his child, everyone jumped into action trying to find them. The water wasn't that deep, but with the waves churning up the sand, it was impossible to see anything.

Matthew was convinced they were gone forever and wanted to abandon the search, but since he doesn't have a backup pair and he can't see more than a few inches in front of his face without them, I was determined to find them. I said a prayer of my own, but decided that we needed the children's help. So I grabbed my babes and headed to the shore to kneel down and PLEAD for divine assistance.

Within a few moments, a man came running over with snorkel masks offering them and his help. The masks weren't very helpful, because of all the sand churning around and all, but the man was. Not one minute after joining the party, he pulled them out of the ocean. I still can't think of it without getting choked up. Thank heavens for that kind man. Thank heavens for my poor mother-in-law who kept looking all the while suffering because of what stooping meant for her poor body. Thank heavens for my sister-in-law and prayer and, the prayers of children, and everything else that conspired that day to help us find Matthew's glasses.

After that we more or less stayed on the sand and built sand forts for the ocean to come demolish and then went home for lunch. We went back that afternoon to share the beach with Father Marler, but Matthew was off duty. No more saving his son. I was back to work.