the process

Interesting how life takes turns that are so unexpected.  I am generally a very healthy person, and have joked that I don't have time for sickness!  The Wednesday night I got sick, I had gone with Matt to help with some last minute preparations for our CEF booth at the Big E fair.
 

Well, to be honest, it was more like just spend time with Matt and watch while he did some last minute prep for that fair!  It was really just an excuse to spend time with him- one of my very favorite things to do :) Matt had put in more hours than I can count in preparation for this 17 day event, including 5 trainings, time collecting and reviewing child protection paperwork, arranging for tent and lighting, setting up the chapel with Mr.B, coordinating with the fair to get passes, meeting with over 50 volunteers and lining up those volunteers so that there would be 3 people per shift, with 2 shifts per day, for 17 days!  He also had shopping to do so that there were supplies to make the wordless book bracelets and there was coffee, creamer, cups, paper towels etc in the chapel for the workers.  On top of all that, people have still been contacting him about outreach events, missions conferences, and starting Good News Clubs!  So, perfect time for me to get sick, right??  Oh yeah....  and the first day of CC for Drewie and Leah was the day I had my surgery.

I was in so much pain when I went in for surgery and I had so many people praying for me, I wasn't even nervous.  (The only thing I was nervous about going into surgery was that the headache I had that was the result of foregoing my daily cup of coffee was still going to be there when I came out of surgery!  The OR nurse took care of that worry by putting caffeine in my IV.  No joke.  What can't they do these days?!)  I spent the night in the hospital and came home the next day.  At that point I was sore enough and tired enough to just sit on the couch and  be served.  A couple days later?  FRUSTRATING.  I wanted to be up and back to normal.  Badly.

Life continued.

Alissa made a tent for Leah and Micah

Leah kept creating- which is what she spends much of her time doing each day!

The boys kept playing football with Matt- and Caleb ended up with this little injury.  Conveniently for him it was his left hand- which made the writing aspect of school next to impossible for a couple of days!

Cameron pretty much stepped up and ran the house while Matt was gone- with Alissa on kitchen duty.

And Micah kept being Micah.

I have been struggling with the idea of resting while things "need" to get done.  I voiced that a little to my friend in a text and she sent this back:

That was so helpful to me as a reminder to keep my eyes on what is really important.  No use worrying about things that are not of eternal value while the things that are can still be accomplished!

I pulled out my copy of this book given to me by a friend in Missouri 6 years ago.  My heart was anything but quiet.  I read this: “God’s curriculum for all who sincerely want to know Him and do His will always includes lessons we wish we could skip.”  She goes on to give encouragement out of the Psalms and David’s response to difficult times- meditating on God’s Word and fully trusting Him.  I sure wish I could have skipped this lesson.  Well, maybe not.  Not if this lesson is for my good and has the potential to bring glory to the God I love so much.  I have so much to learn.

God has blessed me through His people in ways I can't even begin to show enough gratefulness for.  Matt has made sure everything is in order at home and instructed the kids to be taking care of me when he is not here.  Brianna did all she could from far away to see that needs here at home were met while Matt was with me at the hospital.  The kids at home have tended to me like I am about to break! Sweet Jessica arranged for me to have meals through people at church.  I have been incredibly helped through people bringing meals.  My CC class was weighing heavy on my heart as I take very seriously my responsibility to both kids and parents.  One mom, and dear friend, met needs that were so practical and helpful such as buying me elastic waist pants so I didn't have to be in my pjs all day, but at the same time wasn't hurting my incisions.  She also loaned me a stool to get up into my (very high off the ground) bed, loaned me books for Caleb's science project,brought me the papers that were handed out in the kids' classes they missed the Thursday I was sick, took care of Drew and Leah at CC the second week I missed, and coordinated with CC moms to bring me meals. Friends like that are very rare!  Another CC mom agreed to teach my class so I could have the day to stay home and rest.  That is no small task.  That she put so much effort into it and taught so thoroughly was so amazing to me!  It was especially humbling as this mom has five children, a husband who is deployed, lives over an hour from CC, and even made me a meal complete with homemade bread and the best ever oatmeal cookies! I have received so many cards and phone calls and people have been helpful in more ways that I can even say here.  It is amazing.  

Then, my mom came for a couple of days which helped me so much!  She didn't even have to ask what to do.  She just did it.  Since our hot water heater broke, she even washed dishes by hand!  She cared for the kids, ran errands, got library books, did all the laundry, hung a shower curtain, washed bedding, made breakfast, ordered pizza for lunch (made one Andrew the happiest boy ever!), packed lunches for Alissa and Cameron when they worked the fair, and tons of other things.  

One thing I have kept to since last May when I was convicted, is to keep Sunday as a day of rest to focus on God.  Specifically as Creator and Redeemer.  The Sunday before my surgery, in remembering that, I took a blanket and went outside and lied down on it.  This was my view:

I couldn't help but feel my body and my spirit just relax as I remembered that God was in charge.  If He could create such a beautiful day as I was enjoying, He could take care of the "little" things that were bothering me.  If He loved me enough to send Jesus, He loves me enough to see me through my days.  Little did I know what was coming.  I am grateful for the preparation I had! 

I still tire really easily.  I still have to sit much more than I am used to.  My doctor told me at least 5 times that I should have come in sooner.  He told me too that if I had waited just a few more hours, I would have been in the hospital for days.  He told me to be patient with my recovery and that it would take longer because of the amount of infection in my body.  Waiting has never been my strong suit.  

Grateful.  Learning.  Trusting.

All on a God who is trustworthy~