Spring 2013: Finally the last signs of the dreaded winter were gone. The snow had melted, leaves were popping and the grass was slowly turning from a dull brown to a pretty green. And my beloved garden beckoned me! I couldn't wait to help the earth produce colorful flowers, fruit and vegetables. Any free time I had was spent on my knees, gettin’ dirty with a small rake in hand, working the soil and cultivating it. And I was smiling because this was my happy place!
However, I was soon reminded that true joy does NOT come from our circumstances, but from our hope in the Lord. Because it was from this very place- my beloved garden that came an enemy. With the plain eye, this enemy was tiny and harmless looking. It was just a deer tick- so small; you needed a magnifying glass to confirm its identity. But the diseases it carried put me in the hospital for a week! There were moments that I felt so ill, I was ready to have God take me home! Endless, excruciating pain in my head, fever of 104, WBC down to 1.3, tremors, CT scan, oxygen, platelet transfusion, spinal tap, EKG, another CT scan, pneumonia, and more.
During that time however I was given 3 things that gave me peace and assurance that I was not alone. The first was a Bible verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Well, I definitely knew the weak part was true. But it encouraged me that God could actually show his power and use me in my current state. I also realized that the only thing that was important and I mean TRULY necessary was having God’s grace. It was all I needed- It sufficed. And with that, I rested with peace. More encouragement from God came when I was the most scared.
On day 2 during my hospital stay, I was told by my neurologist that I needed to have a spinal tap to completely rule out meningitis. The thought of this terrified me. After the doctor left, I tried calling Nathan but got no answer. I tried calling another friend with no luck. I suddenly felt so alone and frightened! Finally, I prayed that God would send someone to comfort me. And maybe 10 seconds later I heard a knock on my door. It was my pastor and his wife, coming to see me! I thanked the Lord and told my visitors that they were an answer to my prayer.
God continued to use His people to show us love to me and my family. Visitors, flowers, treats and meals were given and it was encouraging, uplifting and humbling. We were overwhelmed and thought, how do we ever thank these people enough? The verse Hebrews 6:10 spoke very uniquely to how we felt during this time. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” God saw their kind gestures. And it pleased Him. What could be more “thanks” than that?