Being Prayerful, Thankful, and Stuck in the Mud

For the past week, I've had this little sticky note posted beside the gear shift in my van.

Smith is my friend Angela's 2 year old son who is having surgery tomorrow to remove his tonsils and adnoids, do some ear reconstruction, and put tubes in his ears.  WOW!  That is a lot for a little fellow.  And it is quite a lot for his mama!  Please join me in praying for both of them.  I've been praying Philippians 4:6-7...

"Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

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I am so thankful for the very kind people who brought dinner to me and my family this past week.  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!  Proverbs 11:25 says, "The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped."

My friend Tina took care of us last Friday with a 3 course meal!  THANK YOU TINA!!! Thank you also for always checking on me and for not taking NO for an answer!!! 

Shawna Lee and her daughter Katie blessed us with this delicious meal!  YUMMY!!!  THANK YOU!   The card was sweet too.  **Shawna Lee, please tell your neighbor we said thank you for the cookies!

Look at this beautiful smile!  Lucia brought by a fabulous meal on Tuesday along with a touching gift that brought tears to my eyes - I'll share the details soon.  THANK YOU LUCIA!  And to think this was the first time Lucia and I met each other!  Talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus!  God has special plans for you Lucia....follow Him.

Tonight, Muriel baked us a chicken pot pie (which we completely wiped out!)  She also made us a healthy salad with apples in it.  Why is this a big deal you ask?  Well, I eat a lot of salads now because it's an easy way to get my veggies, and I've been wanting some crispy apples in my salad!!!  I even took an apple to work yesterday for my salad, but did not get a chance to chop it up.  So, today God used Muriel to put apples in my salad!!!  He takes such good care of us, doesn't He??!!!  THANK YOU MURIEL!!!

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When I was in elementary school, my friends and I would put on our rubber boots and slosh through the ditches in our neighborhood when it rained (in the summertime only, of course.)   We would drudge through the mud and water until we wore ourselves out.  We had to use a lot of energy to move forward because the mud and water were trying to hold us back.

That is the best way I know how to describe the fatigue caused by radiation.  Only now, I feel like I am standing in thick red mud up past my knees while trying to move forward at a normal pace.  It is nearly impossible.  The weight of the mud is tremendous, and it wins sometimes.  But, I consider it a victory when I am able to stand, without moving backwards or forwards! 

Lately, God has been teaching me how to let myself off the hook, especially when it comes to trying to move forward at a NORMAL pace.  Life is not normal right now, and it is okay if I say NO to some things.  As long as I continue to say YES to God, I will be just fine.  My next lesson... learning how to do this withOUT feeling guilty.

Loving HIM with all my heart & soul,
Nancy