Answered Prayer

   The last year and a half, Stephen and I have made some physical issues a matter of diligent prayer. While I was expecting Caleb I began experiencing some uncomfortable rib pain...pretty much thought it was just car accident related and pregnancy irritated...lol:-) A while later we discovered through some examinations that two ribs had dislocated, but were able to have them fixed. The pain, however, did not go away.  It got to the point that every breath I took, I experienced severe pain. We thought that it was just pretty much still pregnancy related and that it would go away once he arrived. Well, it didn't. A couple of months ago, I began to have pain in my shoulders, elbows, and eventually in my hands to the point that picking anything up or playing the piano was excruciating. The left side of my back was also swollen to twice it's normal size.  Chiropractic care relieved some of the swelling but the pain was still there. The pain is located specifically and to put pressure on it would about make me puke:-) Anyways, through some research, examination, and advice, we determined that I have a stress fracture in my rib.  Many different things have brought this one... mainly car accident, difficult pregnancy...We bought a brace and I've been wearing it day and night for three days. For the first time in almost 3 years, I've slept through the night (well 6 hours anyways:-) two nights in a row without waking up one time. The swelling has already started to go down and also the pain in my arms is diminishing. I was able to play the piano yesterday for a good bit without pain so that made me really happy!!

Caleb is not getting any lighter these days...lol...so nursing and holding him has been a difficult challenge. I am just grateful that the Lord answered this prayer because I did not want to have to wean him and not hold him like I want to.  It will take a long time to heal and I'll have to wear this thing for many months, but we just kept asking and knocking and the door was opened up to us! When you haven't slept for more than a couple of hours at a time without waking up for nearly 3 years, a couple of good nights of sleep is something to be happy about and thankful for!!!!:-) Maybe this time next year, I'll be able to go for a run again! Before the accident, I used to run 5-6 miles a day, 5 days a week. I've missed doing that and have had to modify my exercising. Now, I can begin to heal ***rest is imperative to good healing*** and focus on getting back into being a better helpmeet to my husband and better mom to my kids!

I am thankful though for all these experiences that the Lord has brought my way over the last three years. I've gained new perspective on the the issue of chronic pain and can now have a greater sympathy for those who are experiencing chronic pain. I've also had to rely more on the strength of my Lord than anything else during this time and I know that He will still be the main source of my strength in the days to come. I've learned that He must be our sufficiency in all things because He CANNOT fail. Human flesh fails us and friends forsake us, but our Lord is always the Same!  Many days I lived minute to minute asking for strength to go on just one more. Certain passages in Scripture and songs have come to be more dear to me than ever. The Lord always seemed to bring a verse or a song to mind just when I thought I couldn't do one more day. Many times a song was all I could sing and I would sing it again and again because it was the only thing that brought comfort. See, comfort of the soul overrides comfort of the body when one has a Lord to rest upon.  The pain was still there, but the soul was comforted. 

We know that the Lord works all things in our lives for good and that He will not give us more than we can bear, even though there have been times when I thought that He misread my pain tolerance level...lol:-) I am thankful that He is patient with our failing flesh and that He doesn't write us off when we fail in our responses to the tests. Though this journey's end is not in sight, yet I know that the Lord will always answer my prayers...maybe not always when I think they should be answered, but answered they will be! Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me...