Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful that I was there last week when Alex learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Who wouldn't want to be part of a moment like that? Well, it was a day that meant a great deal to me. When Alex was about 14 months old, I began having some strange health issues. My family doctor believed that I had Lupus and sent me to a rhuematologist for further testing. As I sat in that waiting room, all kinds of doubts began their assault on my heart. Alex played happily at my feet while I tried to keep the tears at bay.

Another patient came over next to me, even though all the other seats were empty. Normally, I love to meet new people, but I really just wanted to be alone that morning. She asked me why I was there and I reluctantly told her of my doctor's suspicions. I had hoped that she would say something brief and then move on to read a magazine. Instead, she chose to continue the one-sided conversation. "Oh, I hope you don't have lupus. I have had more than 20 friends that have died from Lupus and I am the only survivor!" These were not words of comfort! Her eyes fell on Alex as he started walking towards me, "Mark my words, you won't be alive by the time he is 5." Thankfully, the nurse opened the door and summoned me into a treatment room.

The details of the actual visit with the doctor are fuzzy, but I do remember him confirming that I did indeed have Lupus. He tried to reassure me that it was mild, but after what I had just heard, I wasn't sure what that meant or even if it was the truth. My doctor sent me down for xrays to give him an idea of how the disease had affected my joints. The xray tech was backed up and the wait was at least reported to be 2 hours. That was an extremely long time to contemplate the words of the patient that I had encountered earlier. So, deep sobs began to escape from me despite my best intentions to control them.

Another patient saw how upset I was and came over to sit beside me. This time I didn't care what was said to me because I had already heard the worst. She touched my shoulder and asked if I wanted to talk. She was just so sweet and comforting that I found myself spilling out all the details of my visit that day. When I was done talking, she asked if she could pray with me. I don't remember her words, but I do remember the peace that came over me as she spoke that prayer. It was that moment that I realized God would be there for me throughout my life with the ups and downs of Lupus.

I am thankful that the first patient I encountered was incorrect in her prediction. Alex is now well on his way to 6 and I have exceeded her life expectancy by about 7 months. Yes, I have challenging days, sometimes weeks, but that is when I draw nearer to Him. I am even more thankful to the two women that I met that day at the doctor's office. They each played a role in strenghtening my faith. One showed me how not to encourage others, while the other demonstrated her deep and abiding faith by praying with me.

28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

To join read more about what others are thankful for or to join our blogging fun, go check out
Iris' blog at Sting My Heart.