Change of Plans

Veteran's Day weekend, 2010:

Our plans: To head west to spend the weekend with our families.  We were looking forward to a wonderful weekend of hunting, visiting, cards, and of course, Pinky was hoping for plenty of snuggle time with her grandparents! 

Unfortunately, Pinky woke up with a fever Wednesday morning.  A trip to the walk in clinic brought no answers and no relief for the fever or stuffy nose. 

Thursday morning was more of the same . . . fever, stuffy nose, and an all-around miserable baby.  Another trip to the walk-in clinic.  A stop at the pharmacy.  And a decision to make:  we couldn't take our sick baby out of town . . . but we were hopeful the she would wake up Friday morning feeling much better! 

Friday was day 3 of fevers between 101 and 105.  Surely, this couldn't last much longer!  We snuggled, we napped, we pushed fluids, and we waited . . .

Saturday morning, we woke up to the number we were waiting for:  98.6 on the nose.  Praise the Lord! 

Such a scary feeling to hold in your arms someone so small and helpless.  You can imagine our fears and worries that we have had in the last 3 days as we watched our typically spunky, playful, and smiley little girl suffer. 

And yet, what a blessing and a comfort to know that we live in a place where we have so many services at our fingertips.  We have ask-a-nurse on speed dial . . . a children's walk-in clinic just a 5 minute drive away . . . a fully-stocked pharmacy even closer . . . and an army of prayer warriors praying for Pinky!  It's hard to understand sometimes why we live in a place that is so "rich" with goods, services, and food . . . While others are living in a world of nothing.  No food, no medicine, no doctors, and no hope.

We didn't get to take the trip we had planned this weekend . . . but it was a small sacrifice.  We're safe, we're healthy, and we have a million things to be thankful for this Saturday afternoon.  I can't help but think about the children out there who were born into poverty . . . sick and alone . . . I wonder, are they waiting for a change of plans???

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 19:11