Sickies

I have a sick baby.  It's the first time my little boy has been sick. I went to a shower for a girl at church today and got a call that Ephram had a fever. He's been miserable all afternoon, laying his head on my shoulder and moaning. I couldn't figure out why he didn't sleep very well last night as that is very out of the ordinary for him.  Both Josh and I were sick with the throw-up flu this week, but Ephram has yet to throw up. I think he may have a touch of something else.

When Josh and I got married, I promised to love him in sickness and in health.  That was never a problem until this week. You're thinking "uh-oh, she's decided she's had enough!"  Not exactly, but my limits were definitely tested. When we decided to have kids Josh and I had an understanding.  I would deal with the poop if Josh would deal with the puke. This understanding worked out well for the most part. I remember one of the kids getting sick while Josh was at a conference and telling him he needed to come home to fulfill his duties! Just kidding. Now, he not only cannot clean up the puke, I have to clean up his as well. So anyway, it's late Thursday night and he's moving around and making some groaning noises. He keeps waking me up but not enough  for me to ask what's wrong.  Around 4 a.m. the puking started. There was me holding the bowl in front of Josh while he threw up. Not only do I have to hold the bowl while he throws up, I also have wipe his face when he's done, rinse out the puke, and be on red alert for the next bout. Yes, I say this with some humor but it really makes me look at how even the most basic human actions are difficult for Josh. Because he has no stomach muscles puking is not like it used to be. I won't go any further than that other than the fact that it's not pretty for Josh.  This is the first time that I really looked at the situaiton and felt like I may not be able to handle it.  Looking back, I think it all went pretty smoothly considering what it could have been. But it causes me to think what it is that God is continually trying to teach me. This situation that I am in, purely God's plan for my life, I really don't like. Is that okay? I pray that God would give me grace as I struggle down this road I would rather not be walking. I prayed for grace while Josh was puking and he granted it. So, what does all this really mean?

I pray that God is using me, this situation and Josh to further his kingdom. I pray that he uses me to encourage others that are going through difficult times. I pray that God brings other peoples needs to my heart so that I can pray for them and remember that my problems are not the only problems.

One family comes to mind who needs prayer. They are experiencing much pain at this point in their life. The family is from Josh's home town and is a 5th grader who has experienced more health crises than many will experience in a lifetime. One of the main concerns is that it seems like the doctors cannot fully understand why all this is happening. Through all this, I read of a mom and dad who refuse to give up faith that God is able to heal their little girl, even when the odds seem stacked against them. Please pray for this little girl. Because I have not asked permission to do so, I will not leave her name. Please pray for this little girl who is too little to understand how all of this works into God's plan and why this is happening to her while all of her friends continue to go to school and play. I'm not sure why I brought that up, other than the fact that this little girl has been on my heart a lot this past 2 weeks.

Thank you to all of you who pray for us and love us. We appreciate you and continue to need your prayers.