Counting One Particularly Big Blessing

Saturday afternoon at about 2:00, Lewis finally asked me what I had been waiting for him to ask me all day--would I take him to the doctor. He had been running a fever since the day before and complaining that he hurt all over, among other things. We left home to take him to Urgent Care with the girls with us.

Unfortunately, the Urgent Care in our hometown has moved and we didn't know. We had the girls with us, but I thought that would be fine because we were just going to the Dr. Well, we ended up going to a different Urgent Care office in another town close by. The nurse there took one look at him and sent us to the Emergency Room.

In the meanwhile, Lewis is looking paler and paler. Marley and Laney have not had decent naps or lunch and I have not had a decent nap or lunch. So, I did what most people who have the luxury would do in such a situation, I called my mommy. Mom and Dad came and took the girls home with them, so that I could fully concentrate on Lewis.

We spent three hours in the emergency room just waiting. Lewis was in a lot of pain. When they finally finished drawing blood and getting samples, the Doctor came and told us that he had a kidney infection. He immediately started giving Lewis antibiotics and pain medication through an i.v.

While I was sitting there waiting with him, my mind was racing. I can't bear to be that worried or scared and so I bowed my head and began to pray. I think my prayer began, "Lord, why me? Lord, why Lewis?, Why is it that we can't seem to all be well at the same time in this family?" But then the Lord began to speak to me. I remembered that even though what I was going through was hard, at least I was going through it.

Let me explain, if the Lord had not given me Lewis, I would not have been at the emergency room on Saturday night. If He had not blessed me with this good man, I would not have my wonderful children. I probably would not have my job. I probably would not have a home of my own. I would not have any of the happy memories of the past eight years. God has blessed me by giving me Lewis in the first place. At least if I have to worry over something, I have someone worth worrying over.

I cannot fathom what it must be like to sit beside the bed of your loved one and know that they are not going to recover. I don't know how someone can stand to watch their loved one leave this world. But I can tell you this much, I'm blessed to know the best source of strength to make it through such things. When and if that time ever comes, I am blessed that I know who gave Lewis to me and to whom he returns.

Tomorrow makes eight years since the day I met Lewis. We live about two miles from the house where we met, but we have come such a long way together. And perhaps the biggest blessing of all is knowing that we still have a long way to go.