I don't mean one of those weeks where a tire goes flat and you find out that your kid's dental care and the other kid's glasses are going to be way more than you can afford and you wonder where you're going to get the money, that was last week. Last week was stressful, this week was impossible.
First, I saw the urologist and he wants to do surgery to get rid of a kidney stone, which measures about 8mm and is going to be very difficult to pass. Surgery is scheduled for May 24th and if I'm honest, I'm very nervous. I'm not nervous about the procedure, but I am nervous about passing the stone. The surgeon will break it up into small pieces, those pieces have to leave my body and there is only one way for them to come out.
He put me on a sodium bicarbonate supplement to help "soften" the stone, which caused all of the fluids to back up in my system and even my nose was bloated. Friday morning, I sneezed three times. As soon as I did, I knew that I had hurt my neck. I have had a tricky disk for years, where if I'm not careful it slips out of place and takes about 2 weeks, Advil and some chiropractic care to get it back in place. Meanwhile, I can't turn my head, wash my own hair, drive a car or lift anything. Hugging my kids is difficult, and it gets really easy to feel sorry for myself.
Tuesday is the day that this all started, but something else happened on Tuesday. I taught the story of Job to about 40 kids on Tuesday. The main point of our lesson was "I will follow God when everything around me is going wrong!"
The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man, and that he was blessed by God. One day God asked the Adversary (I love how the Common English Bible describes Satan as the Adversary) if he'd thought about Job. What happened next, was a onslaught of attacks on Job's family and his livelihood. In a matter of minutes his children died, his camel were stolen and his sheep were burned up in a fire.
Not for one second did Job feel sorry for himself, but he did cry and mourn his family.
Not for one second did Job blame God, instead he worshiped him and thanked him for the blessings in his life.
Half of his children were murdered and the other half were killed by a tornado but he didn't blame God or feel sorry for himself.
He worshiped God!
Is that what I did? When I found out that I was going to have surgery? When I injured my back? When my husband wouldn't let me go hang out with the kids I teach the Word to 4 days a week? When I missed church this weekend because sitting up for longer than about 20 minutes causes me pain? When I missed an event Sunday night that I really wanted to attend? When I couldn't take an Advil because it could cause complications with my surgery?
Did I worship God?
Unfortunately, no I didn't! I cried like a baby that I couldn't hang out with the Dream Center kids on Friday! I cried all morning on Saturday, that I missed the worship service that we hold at the Dream Center on Saturdays! I felt sorry for myself when my family went at church without me, and I got really angry when I realized that the one thing that could get the swelling to go down in my back is on the preop "Do Not Take" list.
Then I got a wake up from the Holy Spirit!
My kids are healthy!
The kids that come to the Dream Center, have a lot of other people who step up and minister to them!
I have access to the best medical care in the world!
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Thank you Job, for setting such an amazing example!
Thank you Jesus, for taking my failures to the Cross!
Tonight, I worship my Savior!
Tonight, I take my eyes off of my circumstance and fix them firmly on the One who holds my future!
