Between a Kidney Stone and a Surrendered Place

 

This picture is not from this morning, although it could be and I wish it was.

Right now I am avoiding too much physical exertion in the attempt to allow my body all the energy it needs to be rid of a teeny little bit of collected minerals wrecking havoc simply by being where they have no business to be. My kidney.

Thursday.

I leave for Thailand on Monday.

I know.

Today is like every other day since I first contacted my doctors (GP and urologist) about the current situation. Waiting for something definitive to happen.

It's a race between three things; the stone passing on its own (I have a good reputation here), hearing back from my doctors' offices for test results and consultation (varying degrees of reputation here), and leaving for the airport at 7 a.m. Monday morning (departure is set for 11:40 a.m. and that's the most-certain of all three things).

At this moment I am doing all that needs doing as if I am going. Of course I am. Bible Lessons planned out. ESL and teaching supplies all packed. Writing all the emails and packing all the materials and getting myself ready for the flight.

And drinking water.
Ridiculous amounts of water.
And resting my body.
And staying calm and positive.

And the last one is only because I believe in a God who loves me and knows everything, and to Whom I've given permission to use me in whatever way He sees fit.

For those of us who sing those songs in church, remember?
"Take my life and let it be, always only all for Thee."
"Where You go I'll go, where You stay I'll stay...I will follow."
"All that I am, I place into Your loving hands, for I am Yours."

Christmas is coming.
Reminds me of what I consider to be some of the most powerful words in all the Bible.
Mary's words.
"I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as You have said."
Luke 1:48

Echoed by Jesus Himself in Gethsemane.
"Not My will, but Yours be done."
Luke 22:42

No definitive decision has been made yet.
I'll let you know as soon as that happens.
The Team is aware.
Suradet and Yupa are aware.
We're all on standby.
And I feel terrible that it's me putting us all through this.
But also humbled, in a good way.
Humanity is fragile even on our good days.
We just don't always have a "in your face" reality to remind us.

Okay, on to some more of that preparation and packing I was talking about. But first, another long swig.

Pressing Pause

In stark contrast to the pace I've been keeping lately, I spent the day in the family room on our big comfy chair with my feet up and a heating pad on my back, drinking ridiculous amounts of water.

I may be passing a kidney stone.

Yup. If timing is everything this is pretty much it.

Surprisingly, I'm staying calm and optimistic, hoping to hear back from my urologist and grateful that my symptoms, while fairly obvious (not my first rodeo), are still relatively mild.

The household was totally chill about it, more than okay to cancel any penciled-in plans about going to market (raining anyways) or even Thrift on Kent (which I do hope we can get to at one point). Maybe we all needed a cozy day inside with totally nowhere to get to and nothing to be on time for.

Happily, work is an excellent distraction for me while my body works to do its thing. I am coming to the end of this work day in a very satisfied state of mind. Lots of quiet concentration to press into some November-related tasks. More than I expected in the middle of the night last night when my symptoms kept me up for a couple of interesting hours.

Yes, this pause day is just what I needed.

If you are the praying sort, I'd appreciate some support in terms of having all of this done and gone by November 6th please. That's the day we all fly out as a Team for our first group visit since January 2020. And we've planned for several months on this already.

So that's the ask, as we've been invited to do.

And, having said that, I truly am trusting that God can do His job in whatever way He decides.

Gotta love it when 'one day at a time' becomes more real.

Blessings on this Thursday, all.