To quote Annie James* (pretending to be Hallie Parker), our youngest child "gave us a fright" this week.
*Parent Trap
Clark has had some stomach/chest pain for over a week...and it hasn't gotten any better with time. I finally convinced him to go to the campus nurse on Wednesday, and he almost passed out during the exam (from the pain). She sent him straight to the doctor's office.
With Clark, it's hard not to go straight to "cancer" in our minds, because of his medical history, and because he is NEVER sick.
And because this pain was in his abdomen...same as before.
After the exam, the doctor scheduled him for a c/t the next morning. I immediately started planning my trip down there. In fact, if I'd had my way, I'd have slept on his bottom bunk THAT VERY NIGHT.
I know...I'm terrible.
But I made plans to go down there early the next morning, because Jim said he had an early meeting. Clark, of course, told me not to come. He said for me not to "make it a thing," and that it "wasn't necessary."
It's like he doesn't know me AT ALL!
And lest you think it was all ME, let me just tell you that my husband woke me up up to tell me, "bye" before he went to work...except something seemed different. It was pitch black in our room...and outside. I said, "what are you doing?" He said, "heading down to meet Clark at the hospital."
It was 4:45 a.m.
Yep.
He was gonna be late for that early morning meeting of his, but what is that old saying..."babies won't keep?"
It's true, even when your "baby" is a 21 year old college student.
So, after taking Joshua to his Therapeutic Recreation, I headed down to see Clark. I took him out for a late breakfast at Ye Olde Cracker Barrel, while we waited on the results...and I listened as he told me about his morning.
In typical Clark fashion, he struck up a conversation with the radiology tech lady doing his scan., and then began to bring the conversation around to God. He asked the lady how he could pray for her. She wasn't expecting that, and said, "exCUSE me?" Clark asked about her family, and learned she had children and grandchildren. He told her he would pray for her.
Clark is fine, PRAISE GOD. He was diagnosed with something like an "intercostal strain" (a tear in one of the muscles located between the ribs).
But you know what?
Even if the results had been our greatest fear...God is still good.
Clark really didn't want me telling people until we knew what we were dealing with, but I shared this prayer request with a few people anyway. After an anxious night, I woke up with the greatest sense of peace. And all through the very long day of waiting, I felt His grace being poured out all over this situation.
Last Sunday, I wrote a long post about Clark's 21st birthday. Even as I was writing it, praising God for 21 years of Clark, I was fully aware that a long, healthy life is not a guarantee...for Clark, or for any of us.
And then, on Thursday of this week, I posted a picture of Clark's baptism...back when he was a little boy. It's because of the decision he made BEFORE his baptism...the decision to follow Christ...that Clark can (and does) say in times of trial, "it's a win-win situation" for me."
Do you know his Jesus?
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble." Psalm 46:1
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