All of it so worth it.

I decided to stay home from coughy-sneezy-handshake hour at church (no offense anyone.)  I stayed at home because my big Sister Arlene and her hubby Andrew were coming to town!   We had made plans for a lunch date and of the two, I'd rather get the chance to see my family.

We went to Spinnaker's Brew Pub, I have to say is becoming one of my favorite places.  They have great local fare with great flavors.  We were seated near a door, knowing this--I requested a blanket. I am learning that the "I-have-cancer-card" works to my benefit.

I froze.  It was all worth it.

By the time our food came, I was pretty over done.  I had waited too long to eat, was getting too cold and tired.  I thought, if I just got home I would have a nap--all would be good.

When I got home, I could not warm up.

In the afternoon, Kent, Jonathan and Melissa went to Fort Rodd Hill to look at the wedding site again. Kent decided he needed to know where the sun would be on the day of the wedding, so in his boy scout way he plants his watch on the ground, sticks a pen in the ground and "measures" where the sun will be.  He is truly a gifted man.  So they decided the way the wedding would be arranged and how Melissa would enter.

By the time they got home, I had bottomed out.  I was over heated, over tired and in a lot of pain--I felt like the insides of my bones were bursting.  I couldn't get comfortable and I began to lose it a little.

I laid on my bed, writhing and thought panic is not going to help when a verse came to mind:  "I lift my eyes up, to the mountains, where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121

I decided to lay as still as I could, panic wouldn't help the situation, but rather--bask in the scripture that had just come to mind.

From there I started singing to myself, You, O, Lord are a shield about me, you're my glory and the lifter of my head....."

As the evening wore on, I felt better and better and finally fell into bed at 11pm to a good nights sleep.  I was only up twice, today would be a new day.

Then, today, I got an email.  I know for some of you -- you may think this all very convenient and contrived.  It wasn't.

While I was in pain, my Sisters in New Zeland were praying, when they were done they sent me this message:  

Fact: Mama and I just had a prayer sesh for you. It was good to have a piece of 

home and somebody who knows you to share that with. Love you lots and miss 

you lots and think you're the best lots.

You'd have to see the time stamp to fully comprehend that while I was getting out of bed and trying to make sense of what evening I had left yesterday, they were typing that message to me.

I don't believe in coincidence.  I don't believe in happenstance.  I do believe that the investments I have made into the Kingdom of God for years, are coming back to me in droves--the fact that I have friends all over the world who are praying for me, could be directed to pray for me at any time of the day or night -- and that they are willing to do that for me--is overwhelming and gives such peace and reassurance.

It makes the pain all worth it.  I learned about being patient and waiting on the Lord.  Lauren and Deb learned about obedience and faithfulness in New Zealand.  All of it so worth it.