Tender Mercies

This week has been hard. Volleyball games, first immunizations, wisdom teeth removal, and then on top of those add two very sick kids. But even in all the crazy running around and chaos, I have seen the very tender mercy of the Lord in my life this week. Before I had my wisdom teeth out, I asked Ike to give me a blessing. I was so nervous about the procedure and being able to take care of the kids while Ike was at work and at a volleyball tournament this weekend. In the blessing, I was told that I would be able to accomplish everything that I needed to do and that everything would be fine. Well, the day before I had my teeth pulled Jackson got really sick. High fever, sore throat, the works. So I took him in to the Dr. and he had an ear infection (mild) in both ears and the beginnings of strep throat. Lots of Tylenol and antibiotics later, we went to bed. The next day I had my wisdom teeth removed and overall things went well. I was expecting to be in a lot of pain and have my mouth all swelled up for the next several days. Well when I woke up the next morning, I had virtually no swelling. I had very little pain. I was actually really fine. Then Brady woke up and he was not fine. High fever and vomiting. I couldn't get him to eat hardly anything. I spent the morning trying to get his fever down but finally after his nap, with a 103 temp I ran him to the doctor. I had to go get his prescription and then we had to do a urine sample to see if his kidney was infected. Thank goodness it wasn't! So basically it was a crazy day. When both the kids were finally asleep and I was laying in bed thinking about my day I realized how incredibly blessed I was. I had had my wisdom teeth out 24 hours ago. I should have been in horrible pain. I should have had a face like a chipmunk. But I didn't. I felt completely normal and I was able to run my sick kids all around Fullerton and clean up vomit and not feel like I was going to die. I remembered the blessing I received and being told that I would be able to do everything I needed to do. I thought about my day and realized what an incredible act of mercy Heavenly Father had shown me that day. Did I mention that Jackson was 100% feeling better? That last night Brady slept 9 hours straight and woke up without even a hint of a fever? Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up on everything that is hard that we forget how amazing the Lord is and the work he is doing in our lives.

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life."
-Joseph B. Wirthlin
Come What May and Love It
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng