Thankful Thursday

There have definitely been some challenges this week, but really, what week doesn't have a few challenges?  Still it's not every week (thankfully!) that I have to go to the hospital for a medical procedure.

When I started on the journey toward having my gall bladder removed, I never thought the path would include a detour by way of an endoscopy and colonoscopy with a gastroenterologist.  I imagined I would see the surgeon, have the operation, and then move on with my life.  Silly me.

To date, I've seen four doctors, gone through two rounds of blood work, and had two totally unexpected procedures that required conscious sedation -- all to get rid of a basically useless organ!

I am thankful the procedures on Tuesday went well.  I will admit that I was more than a little bit anxious about the sedation, the physical preparation for one of the procedures, and the procedures themselves.

Monday evening my husband and I attended an event at our church.  One of the women who spoke detailed the hesitation and fears she experienced before she agreed to take part in a short-term mission trip.  She was asked three times if she would join the group, and three times she refused, voicing the reasons why she couldn't possible travel to France.  The group leader persisted and asked her a fourth time to commit to the trip.  This persistent leader assured her that God knew all of the challenges that she would face and then she asked the woman if she trusted that God was able to help her to not only meet, but to conquer each and every challenge.  The woman agreed that God indeed was more than able and that it would be to His glory to do so.  She agreed to trust the Lord, to step out in faith -- and He rewarded her faithfulness.  None of the fears or challenges that she had anticipated would keep her from serving were ever an issue!

I can't begin to describe how this woman's message spoke to me.  While she was talking to the audience about her fear of traveling to a foreign country, God was speaking through her to me about the fear I was experiencing in regards to what I would face the next day.  Just as God knew every challenge that this woman  would face over the two week mission trip, God also knew what lay ahead for me in the next twenty-four hours.  I realized what I knew all along -- I could give all my fears to Him and trust that He would work out everything to His glory.

I am so thankful for the reassurance and encouragement that the Lord provided at just the right moment when I needed it most.  I am also thankful to my sister in Christ for sharing her testimony of God's provision in her life.  Not only was she a blessing to the people she met on her mission trip to France, she was a blessing to me!