Well, this has been a better week. My husband is back in the country, and my kids, at least at this very moment, are all doing well.
Our youngest son, Clark, had been dealing with some sort of a health issue for nearly 3 weeks. The school nurse sent him to the doctor, after he nearly passed out from the pain of her just feeling around on his abdomen...and the doctor scheduled him for a c/t scan.
I wish I could say I was more advanced in my spiritual walk, but with Clark being sick, and he's NEVER sick...it was hard not to go, in our minds, to the hard places we've already been.
The place called: cancer.
So there were a couple of days where we had that sick feeling in the pits of our stomachs...where we didn't sleep much at night...where it was hard to concentrate during the day.
A couple of days where the only thing I could do was pray, and ask, "please, Lord, not again."
And, if it IS that, "please, Lord...give us strength."
The c/t showed that all organs were good. PRAISE THE LORD. There were no "masses" or anything like that. After talking to Clark, they figured he must've just strained a muscle in his abdomen. He works out, and lifts weights...so, by a process of elimination, that's what they thought.
They prescribed ADVIL twice a day for the pain. He was in such severe pain. Hurt to sit. Hurt to lie down. Could not sleep.
He said the ADVIL took the edge off the first day, but the pain continued to get worse and worse over the next few days. His friends were so worried about him, they almost took him to the ER one night...but he toughed it out. He would tell me, "I'm sure it will just take time," "Don't make it into a big thing," "Don't come down here...I'll be fine."
But last Friday, at 3 in the morning, he called me. And this time he said, "I'm in the ER...please come...NOW."
Jim was out of the country...Joshua was asleep in the next room...I was supposed to keep my baby grandson in just a few hours...and I'm 1 hour, 45 minutes away. What should I do?
I tried texting Holly, but she did not respond. She had been telling me that Rhodie was sleeping AWFUL. I kept texting and texting. I thought, "of ALL nights for him to sleep..."
So I waited...and I prayed...and I texted a few people to pray. Several of my friends responded immediately, and I was so thankful. But my friend, Sherri, she lives in the town where Clark goes to college...she said, "do you want us to run up to the hospital?" I said, "no," about 5 times, before I finally said, "nooooyessss please."
I texted Clark and said, "Mrs. Sherri is coming up there." He said, "Oh, don't let her come up here!" I said, "Oh...she's comin'."
Holly finally texted me back...a few minutes later, she called. She said, "I've called in to work. Bring Joshua over here, and then you go to Clark."
So that is exactly what I did. I took Joshua over to her house, and then I stopped to get gas. I was kicking myself, because I never...like, never EVER let my gas get below half-tank. I just have a "thing" about it. Well, I had 1/4 of a tank, because I was thinking that Jim would probably need it when he got back to town...and we could go together and use up all of our Kroger points.
It's all about using those Kroger gas points.
I was thankful there was a pay-at-the-pump gas station open just up the road. And then I was on my way.
I prayed all the way there, and it's a 1 hour 45 minute drive. K-LOVE was blessing my socks off, with music chosen by God to minister to me while I drove.
Long-story-short: All of Clark's labs were normal, and then did some sort of test to check his stomach enzymes or acid level or something. I'm not sure. But they think Clark has an ulcer, and they are treating him with medication for that. My friend, Sherri, and her husband, Billy, went to the hospital, at 4 in the morning, and they stayed with Clark until I could get there. And they talked to the doctor, and they were there when he was running tests on Clark.
And for all of Clark's belly-achin' about her not coming, he said, "when I saw them walk in, I felt like I could relax...like I knew I was going to be okay."
Yes, I bawled my eyes out when he told me that.
Because he knew that when they walked in...he wasn't alone anymore.
Clark also said, "I'm guessing you activated your 'Mommy Train.'" I said, "what is a Mommy Train?" He said, "the prayer chain of all your little mommy friends..."
Yes, yes I did that.
He said people were texting him when he was in the ER, and he didn't know how they knew. He was so surprised that I texted my friends, and so many of them responded...when it was technically still the middle of the night. He said, "don't y'all ever sleep?" I said, "Sleep is for the weak. We are strong. We are mommies."
My friend, Sherri...her daughter works in the NICU with Holly. She called Holly and asked if she could share about Clark at work. Holly said, "yes...there's no such thing as too much prayer." Later, she told Holly that they all prayed for Clark in their morning "huddle" before their shift.
Yes, I bawled my eyes out when I heard that, because God? HE DID ALL OF THIS.
And y'all? How about those friends and family members of mine? They prayed, they called, they texted, THEY SHOWED UP.
Who can YOU pray for? Who can YOU call or text? Who can YOU show up for?
I'm preaching to myself more than anything. I get busy...I get distracted...I think someone else will do it...I don't follow-through with those promptings by the Holy Spirit.
But I am committing to do better.
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down, and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." Psalm 139: 1-6
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