PRAYERS, I.V.'S, AND DIAPERS

"The I.V. she received on Sunday apparently did wonders! I just saw her today and she actually looked normal;" part of an e-mail said.

The days just before this, Shannon, my sister's daughter-in-law, after receiving her first chemotherapy, had responded poorly: acupuncture for pain and nausea medication didn't seem to be working; in 6 days, she lost 15 pounds. There was consideration of foregoing further treatment and leaving cancer progress to the Lord.

(About this time, I think Dave had decided to present this prayer request to the MCC congregation in worship service in Japan and we took it to the throne of grace.)

Sunday morning, nausea medicine via I.V. was administered at the hospital in Minnesota. Shannon got up from that apparently feeling much, much better!

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I remember after giving birth C-section and there were days of lying in the hospital bed those dreaded I.V.'s. I tried to work up smiles for the nurses, but... Those I.V. needles were uncomfortable!

But I know when I heard about the positive results to Shannon's I.V.'s, I could feel nothing but elation and gratitude toward these wonderful things called IntraVenous medicines!

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I remembered there was a period of time I had a searing pain in my shoulders and could not lift my arms, much less hold heavy things. Just several months later, the announcement came my daughter had given birth; could I come help care for him? Because of my condition, it was thought best my husband come along too to do strength work and lifting things I could not do.

My daughter put a donut cushion under him so I could "hold" him!

My son-in-law remarked to my daughter how it surprised him how readily I jumped to change him when asked. Well, I knew I could not lift and hold my own grandchild, and I can see now this was God's wisdom; I wanted to do whatever else I could, even change his dirty diapers, something which seems disagreeable even to parents who genuinely adore the babies in those diapers!

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Something I thought I didn't like at all makes me really happy. What? We humans are so fickle, change how we feel about everything by the situation we find ourselves in. We aren't really the "Scientific and Reasonable" beings we claim to be. God's Love for us is the only constant thing through the whole thing, isn't it? THAT doesn't change, no matter what.