Pity

It's been quite a week. Not one I would prefer to repeat any time soon, though. Paul came home from his conference sick with the flu. It's a long-lasting one this year and he was no exception. It turned ugly and got into his lungs . . ick. I found myself at different doctors offices 5 times last week. The dentist once. It was that kind of week. Baby got pink eye. . .Jael got an UTI . . . random stuff with different kids plus getting hit with the flu on and off the entire week.

One night, on top of being up 2 hours with my own flu issues, three kids came in at throughout the night with fevers. We had the cooties. Oh, and Paul was off again Thursday morning for a wedding in NC.... leaving me to handle the sick-fest single handedly. Self-pity. The temptation to feel sorry for myself entered my mind on several occassions but was quickly dismissed. There is no room in the life of a believer for self-pity. Thankfulness entered instead. I was thankful to live in a country where I can, if I choose, access medical professionals and obtain medications to help with ailments. Our friends the  Downings aren't in that situation. Living in Chad they do not have the luxury of jumping in the car and going to the doctor, then leaving with prescriptions to relieve bacterias and infections. Chad, where illness can become a life and death battle, not just an inconvenience in one's week.

Yet even in Chad there is no room for self-pity when God is in control orchestrating even sickness through His providence. While I didn't enjoy spending more time in the car one day than I did in my home, I can see His hand using even this situation for His glory and our best. And I'm thankful.

Thankful, too, that we seem to be almost through it and Paul will be home tomorrow:).