The God of All Comfort

It's been a roller coaster of a weekend.  It started off great because Chad and I got to go on a date...a long one and it was wonderful!  This will more than likely be our last date before Adelyn arrives.  

On Friday our friend (babysitter) from church came over in the morning right after breakfast and Chad and I took off for the day.  First we went to a prenatal appointment together.  This was Chad's first time meeting my OB who will more than likely deliver Adelyn.  Everything went well and then we went and saw the movie Courageous and wow was it a great movie!!  We highly recommend.

    

Next we went to a French cafe for lunch and it was sooo good...French food is so yummy : )  

Right after lunch we did a little shopping and then went home.  When we arrived home, the little ones were taking a nap and our older girls were finishing up their Math and having a snack.  Our dear friend  did all the regular homeschool lessons with the kids and even kept my same schedule so we wouldn't get behind...what a blessing she is!  

We then said goodbye to her and started packing!  We had plans to stay with one of our elders and his family for the weekend because our church was going to host a conference and we live an hour away and we would be driving up 3 times in the same weekend.  We packed our clothes and everything we'd need and headed out.  Drove through almost 2 hours of traffic and arrived at the conference on time.  

What started out earlier in the day as just a clear runny nose for Emma soon spiraled downward and ended up a trip to the ER later that night.  Chad was the first to notice that something just didn't seem right with Emma and that it didn't seem like just a normal cold 3/4 of the way through the conference's activities.  She couldn't get settled and seemed very uncomfortable.  So we quickly changed plans and drove all the way back home.  Emma wanted to fall asleep on the way back but couldn't stop crying (not like her at all) and was starting to get a cough.  She finally fell asleep for a few minutes.  We transferred all the kids to their beds from the car.  Not too long after, Emma woke up crying and with full-on croup and unconsolable.  We put her in the bathroom with the hot water running in hopes of the steam opening up her lungs and giving her relief from her croup but to no avail.  She kept arching her back, even gasping for air at times and crying constantly.  The doctor from her pediatrician's office told us over the phone to get her to the ER if the steam didn't help her breath better.  So off we went, my sweet little Emma and I.  The ER was packed which isn't surprising on a Friday night.  We ended up being there for almost 4 hours. 

Rocking Emma in a rocking chair in the ER...I think she wanted to play with my phone : )

 Towards the end of our time there, they gave her a breathing treatment and her lungs started sounding better afterwards.  We got home about 3:30 am and I was soooo tired!  Thankfully Emma went to sleep!  Needless to say, we missed the rest of the weekend-long conference but thankfully Emma is doing better now.  

I have to be honest, I did feel overwhelmed in the ER though waiting for the doctor to come and check on Emma.  I was worried about her breathing and I also had 3 contractions in an hour (4 means you have to call your OB).  I was forced to rely on God and not myself for Emma's health and when labor would come and trying to stay awake even though I so desperately needed to sleep (I had woke up at 5am that morning and it was now past midnight).  

After getting caught up on sleep the next day, God comforted me with these words in 2 Corinthians 1:

(Click to enlarge above text)

I love that last part especially: "But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God".  That is why God allows us to go through challenging times.  He wants us to rely on Him and not ourselves.  Even great men of the faith like Paul and Timothy became "so utterly burdened beyond their strength that [they] despaired of life itself".  Ever felt like that before?  I'm sure we all have at times and I hope the above words can comfort you when those times visit again.  

Thankfully Emma's cough is starting to sound better and she's starting to get back to her normal self singing and running all over the house.  Chad and I got a wonderful date in and I also even got 2 more dresses sewn in preparation for our Christmas pictures this year.  

 God is so good!  He really does take good care of us and uses all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Here is a great short message along the same lines:
http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=105111624610

Love, Sandi