As I sit here writing this I’m thinking back to Suzanne’s last mentor moment. She was woken up in the middle of the night to write hers. At least it’s only 11:34pm. So I’m grateful.
I didn’t plan on writing this. I had hoped to be sleeping by now dreaming of the delicious sugar cookies I made the other day and can’t stop eating.
It’s just me, the kid and the hound this evening. I had just turned off the light and snuggled under the covers when I heard this internal voice that said, “I want to show you something. Read the Bible”. I thought to myself, “hmmm, that was weird” but I listened and flicked the lights back on. As I grabbed my Bible I thought “OK God, if that was you then you’ll have me open to the page that I’m supposed to read”. I pick a page with my fingers before my eyes could see what I had selected. I open the book and found that I had turned to Job, chapter 2 which is entitled “Satan Attacks Job’s Health”.
For those of you who don’t know, I’ve had plenty of medical problems this year. In the last month I had appendicitis, 2 ovarian cysts, two allergic reactions to the cat scan dye, some muscular complications from the gas they used to perform the surgery and I will probably be on my 3rd round of antibiotics as of tomorrow to try and get rid of a bad bladder infection. That is in addition to twisting my ankle while going down some steps this week. Earlier in the year I had a nasty concussion followed by a wretched case of vertigo. Oh, and on another occasion I took a trip to the ER to fix my hand I had accidentally cut with a knife. My one friend calls me a “medical disaster”. Another is threatening to cocoon me in bubble wrap so I can stop injuring myself. Prior to this year I’d been as healthy as a horse. That’s the term they use right?
So as you can imagine I’ve been kind of cranky lately. I’ve been very tired and irritated that I haven’t had the energy to participate in all the holiday festivities. However, after reading this passage I keep thinking about this quote from verse 10, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
What adversity are you struggling with right now? Is it the holiday stress of dealing with the in-laws? Is it financial? Are you worried about how to make ends meet each month? Are you contemplating or in the process of moving? Or do you too have health struggles for you or your family? Or do you feel like you are at your wits end dealing with ____.
Whatever adversity you are encountering right now, please know that there is a caring group of women here to support you. Whether it be just lending an ear or something a little more involved, please don’t hesitate to contact your table leader to let them know how to pray for you or how to assist you during a turbulent time. One of the MOPS quotes I think from a previous year was “no mother should mother alone”. That is why we are here. If you are struggling, please let someone know.
And for those of you who have already expressed concern about upcoming holiday time events, know that you have a solid group of women praying for your self-confidence, patience and peace.
