Thank You Notes

So, God has been dealing with me and my independence. "Thanks, but I've got it." Used to be my mantra. I was raised to be sufficient, to do for yourself, to take care of others, and to not be a burden. The problem is that I sometimes have a problem distinguishing between "being a burden" and "needing help."

Last Monday, Rock woke up feeling a little puny. So, he stayed at home and worked here. Then that evening he had a big region meeting. When he came home, he was more than a little puny, he was sick and in pain. By the middle of the night he was really in pain, as in literally writhing in pain. So we decided the next morning to feed and clothe the kids, and go to the Dr. We were at the Dr. by 10 am, and by 11 am Rock was out of the Dr.'s office with orders to go to the ER.

Okay, now what.

I have to find someone to watch the kids. I can't take them to the ER. Who knows how long we'll be there. So I called one of the lovely young ladies in our church, we'll call her Angel. I didn't give her much time, but since she is such a sweet young lady she was ready in less than 10 minutes, when I picked her up from her house. One problem...she had a play rehearsal at 4:00. Well, at least the kids were taken care of for now.

Off to the hospital, and while on the way, I was making phone calls to Rock's managers, his boss, our pastors, and our family. We arrived at the hospital around 12 pm, and they promptly called Rock in to take his vitals, put him in a room, and came in to take blood and fluids for tests. Then the waiting happened. Rock was so tired and in so much pain he didn't want to talk, and didn't want to be talked to. So, I read a book I thought to take with me, every now and then remembered someone I needed to call, and fielded calls from Rocks phone to his Area Managers.

Wait, who was going to relieve Angel. I'd think about that while I called our neighbor (remember the one who rescued me from my migraine), to let her know I wouldn't be there to watch her son after school. Well, not only did she not need me to watch her son, but she immediately offered to watch the kids. She would be home just after 3 pm, so Angel would easily be able to get to her rehearsal. Okay, kids taken care of. More waiting.

Then the nurse came in and started an IV in Rock. He was extremely dehydrated, and he needed antibiotics because the blood tests showed his white blood cells were very elevated. Next the Dr. came in and asked questions and examined Rock. The first Dr.'s office had done an X-ray, but they decided they needed to do a ct scan. So a little while later they came in and took Rock for that scan. After he returned, it was less than an hour, and the nurse and Dr. were back in to tell us the bad news. Rock had diverticulitis, and had it bad enough that they were going to admit him to the hospital. Okay! Now we wait for a bed and a room. I called our neighbor to let her know that I was going to wait until Rock was settled in a room, and then I would be on my way home. It was 5:00. Not a problem, she was feeding them, and they were playing with her kids. More waiting.

For some reason this time the waiting seemed to go on forever. Around 6:45 I realized that it was going to be well past the kids bedtime before I got home, and our neighbor's sons had school the next morning. So, I called one of our pastors and his wife. They love taking care of the kids. They weren't home, but I left a message knowing they would call ASAP. Around 7 pm my parents called and said they were coming down to help. Around 7:15 our pastor called. It wasn't a problem, they would love to help. So, I called my neighbor to let her know they would be picking up the kids. They picked them up, took them across the street, read them a couple of stories, a Bible story, a Proverb, and put them to bed. And in true Grandparent style, they let Warrior wear his Mr. Incredible costume to bed.

Well, we got Rock in a room around 9 pm (in the maternity ward because the rest of the hospital was full), and they promptly came in, and gave him some pain killer. Nighty, night Rock. I got home, in time to eat something and go to bed.

The next morning, Z-Man's father called. "Did I need him to keep Z-man so that I could take care of Rock?" No, Z-Man is great, and really easy to care for. So as soon as he got to the house, I loaded all the kids in the suburban and headed to the hospital with Rock's stuff to see Daddy. You should have seen the looks on the faces of the volunteers and staff when I came into that hospital with Baby J on my hip and my 4 little ducks all in a row behind me. The kids were perfectly behaved. My parents showed up later that afternoon, and my neighbor cooked dinner for us. Then because my Mom and Dad were there, I was able to spend the evening at the hospital with Rock.

Thursday was pretty much a repeat of Wednesday, and Friday we were able to bring Rock home to actually rest. During this time, I tried to keep people up to date on Facebook, and through phone calls. We had more offers of help than I could accept, and more prayers than I could have ever imagined.

My parents when home on Saturday, since my Daddy had to be in the pulpit on Sunday, but the help didn't stop there. A little later that morning, Angel's father showed up at our house where he proceeded to mow and weed-eat the yard. How's that for a servants heart?

Now, what is the point of this terribly long tale? I wouldn't have been able to take care of Rock, without the generous help of my friends and family. And, I didn't tell you that along the way, I was often tempted to say, "Thanks but I've got it covered." I did say that to my parents, but they came anyway. And even though Rock's illness was not necessarily life threatening, because of the knowledge that I would have more than enough help, I was able to take care of my family.

I can truly say to each and every one of my friends and family, I am so blessed that Christ has given you to me.

Thank You