Interrupted

I'll admit it. I don't like interruptions. I like a schedule and I think everyone should keep to a schedule, but that is not real life. So I should've known that when I started a Bible study called Jonah -- Navigating a Life Interrupted, that life wouldn't be smooth sailing and go on as scheduled. Sometimes God chooses to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming...Priscilla Shirer calls these divine interventions.

So, life was pretty normal last week. I had my list of errands to run on Friday and we had a full and fun Saturday planned for the kids. And then about 10:30 Friday morning the school called, Matthew's in the office with a stomachache, headache, sore throat and he just threw up. We think he has strep. Please come get him.

And so, we head to the doctor. He has a severe ear infection in his right ear. Severe people. They start questioning me, when did this start, how long has he been complaining about pain and on and on. He has no fever. He hasn't once said that he didn't feel well. Even in the office, he's saying, my ear does not hurt. So they didn't even test for strep because his throat wasn't that red and the treatment is the same.

So we head home with the antibiotic. We get one dose in him and he gets sick again all over the kitchen floor. (I know you're thrilled to be reading these details). Our family rarely gets sick so when we do, we're pathetic. I still keep thinking, this is all related to the ear infection, etc. By Friday night, he's feeling great. He's on the Wii Fit for an hour and off to bed. At about 2 in the morning, I realized that this wasn't all related to the ear infection, that he did have a stomach virus on top of his ear infection, because this virus decided to visit me!

I climbed out of bed and headed to the downstairs couch. I spent some time just sleeping on the bathroom floor because I knew what was coming and my body just hurt too much to move from the couch to the bathroom. I was irritated because our Saturday was ruined and I felt crummy. I wanted to die. I know that sounds extreme, but I really am a huge wimp when it comes to pain. I don't know how a stomach in pain can affect your whole body like it does, but my entire body just ached.

And that's when the interruption hit, God reminded me of Africa. He reminded me to be thankful that I had a bathroom and a warm blanket as I lay on the couch shivering. He reminded me that I had access to stomach medicine and ibuprofen and crackers and sprite to help ease all the effects of this. He reminded me that I had a loving husband who still took the kids on part of our fun day even though I stayed at home in the bed. He reminded me that there are women all over the world...widows or just lonely women...who don't have someone else to take care of their children when they're sick. They don't have access to medicine or comfort and I wonder why. Why am I so blessed? Why are they not? And how ungrateful that I am that I can't endure 24 hours of suffering when they're enduring suffering day after day after day. And God reminded me to be loving and compassionate and to do whatever I can to help these women and children who are so vulnerable. He reminded me that He loves them as much as He loves me. He sees them in their distress. He has not forgotten them. He will not forsake them. He loves them with an everlasting love. And if I can't do anything else, I can go whenever I have the opportunity and tell them this.