Facebook cares about me, so this past Christmas Eve I was reminded
of something I posted the previous year. I thought I had food poisoning, so I
asked people to pray for me as I had been sick the whole day. [Thanks?? I mean,
who wouldn’t want to look back on a full 24 hours of, well, you know.]
I was about two months pregnant at the time, and Stephen and I had gone out for dinner the night before to celebrate his birthday. I thought my burger had turned against me when I woke up queasy in the early morning hours on Christmas Eve. I spent the whole day, well, you know. [Side story, I contracted a stomach bug during my first pregnancy and did have to get an IV because I got dehydrated. That’s why I asked people to pray that I would stop getting sick. I really didn’t want to spend Christmas Eve with an IV in my arm.]
I was about two months pregnant at the time, and Stephen and I had gone out for dinner the night before to celebrate his birthday. I thought my burger had turned against me when I woke up queasy in the early morning hours on Christmas Eve. I spent the whole day, well, you know. [Side story, I contracted a stomach bug during my first pregnancy and did have to get an IV because I got dehydrated. That’s why I asked people to pray that I would stop getting sick. I really didn’t want to spend Christmas Eve with an IV in my arm.]
Still under the impression that the burger was the culprit,
I texted Lori,
my amazing and supportive midwife. She didn’t hesitate to come over with a
couple of natural remedies in tow to try to help my body be able to keep food
and drink down more quickly. Y’all, she is awesome. I still can’t believe that
she came to our house on Christmas Eve. Lori, if you read this, I’m still sorry
that I unknowingly exposed you to a stomach virus the day before Christmas, and
I’m so thankful you didn’t catch it.
Like every important moment in life, there was a line from a
song by Lecrae that I kept replaying in my head as I got sick. In his song “Boasting,”
a section stuck out to me.
“God has never been obligated to give us life. If we fought
for our rights, we'd be in hell tonight. Mere sinners owed nothing but a fierce
hand. We never loved him, we pushed away his pierced hands. I rejected his
love, grace, kindness, and mercy. Dying of thirst, yet, willing to die thirsty.
Eternally worthy, how could I live for less? Patiently you turned my heart away
from selfishness. I volunteer for your sanctifying surgery. I know the Spirit's purging me of
everything that's hurting me.”
Each time my body seemed to betray me by expelling the
liquids I consumed, I had to remind myself that it is actually good that my
body was attempting to purge me of the wretched food poisoning (since that’s
what I thought it was at the time). I couldn’t help but meditate on the line “I know the Spirit's purging me of
everything that's hurting me” as I thought about how growing in holiness
and putting to death the deeds of the body is painful as God’s Spirit works in
me to purge me of the sin that brings death. The Lord was near and good to me
in those hours, granting me joy and thankfulness in the midst of undesirable
circumstances. I had a husband who took care of me, a midwife supporting me,
and my friend Kate praying for me and holding my hand. I felt the Lord’s
presence through the people He put around me who encouraged me and loved me
when I looked less than lovely.
“So, how did you discover it was a stomach bug and not food poisoning?” I know that’s what you’re thinking. I may have given Stephen and Brantley and Kate's kids an additional present that manifested itself on Christmas Day. Again, I am so very sorry for sharing my stomach bug with you Stephen, Kate, Brantley, and Lori. You guys are all amazing!
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