but GOD!


Creationswap.con/Bryce Cooley
Hello Everyone . Anyone . Someone.

Today is Testify Tuesday, and I am again blessed to still be under the will of God in the land of the living.

Today's blog topic is but GOD!

I sat and I asked God, what should I blog about today, and the answer was clear... Let's talk about the statement... but God!

I'm at home recuperating from surgery. This surgery has been scheduled, rescheduled and re-rescheduled and re-re-rescheduled since June of 2008.

Let me back track a bit and provide some history... I've had female issues since the origins of what the elders called "entering womanhood", the menstruating age. Mine began at the age of 12. I've gone to every doctor known to man through my teens and my adult years.

By the time I hit 30, the doctors were already calling for a hysterectomy. I had never been married, I didn't have any children, so I fought to hold on to what was coined "my womanhood".

The joys of womanhood presented more problems over the course of my life. I married at the age of 36 and endured miscarriages and all the pains associated with it, physically, mentally, and emotionally. I dreaded the idea that I would never bear children. Again, another series of doctor visits to work to bring life into the world. It became a laborious process and one that put more strain than joy on my life, so I let it go...

... but God

One day, I realized that while I was spending so much time worrying about what I didn't have and couldn't have, God had already gifted me with a child. My stepson... My son... who I was charged to care for. He was the child I couldn't have. This realization allowed me to give to him, all the love that a mother could give to a child. Although, I didn't bear him from my womb, he was what I needed, and I was what he needed. Having a child of my own became less of the focus and treasuring the gift that God had already blessed me with took on a new meaning and new purpose.

I used to hear the older women in my life say... Man plans but God unplans.

Now fourteen years later, I had the surgery, as holding on to "my womanhood" presented health issues that proved more severe. I often thought about the woman with the issue of blood and how her condition forced her faith to increase... If she could just touch the hem of His garment... played over and over in my head.

I let go of what I thought should be and accepted the will of God in my life. I conceded to the surgery, as the alternate was altering my quality of life.

In the midst of it, the scheduling of the surgery took on a life of its own... but God had it all under control. Not in my time, but in God's time. As I shared with my family, the need to undergo surgery, they began to ask who was going to take care of me... but God already had it under control.

As a business owner, self-employed entrepreneur, I began to think about my livelihood and the fact that I could be out of work for up to 8 weeks. Immediately, my mind turned to the scripture so eloquently written by Paul.

...but God will supply all of my need according to His riches in glory. And of course the psalmist David who said that he was young and is now old, yet he has never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging bread.

As I continued to be obedient, I learned more about the various surgical procedures, from the least invasive with quick recovery and the most invasive with 6-8 weeks recovery time. I began to pray and asked others to pray a specific prayer... that my surgery will be the least invasive with the quickest recovery.

My mind went back to my surgery in 2001, where my fibroids were removed. The procedures were similar, but then, I had to be opened up and my healing took 6-8 weeks. I rebuked that idea and held steadfast to my prayer. I already knew that God had the victory and so did I.

Prior to the surgery, I told my doctor that we were going to do this without having to open me up and I'd be back on my feet in two weeks... I know she thought I was crazy, but I meant it, I believed it, I claimed it. I wasn't worried about the surgery, my livelihood, who was going to be there, or anything else.

Well, here's how it played out...

I arrived at the hospital around 6:15 am last Thursday morning. They took my vitals... all was well; even my blood pressure (a problem in the past) was 112/82... best it's been in a long time. I wasn't nervous at all, I was even to my surprise very calm and ready for what was to take place. My doctor (who was also one of the surgeons) came in to go over the procedure, and reassure me. I was already reassured, as I prayed that morning and all while they we're preparing me, I was talking to God.

I met all of the doctors, surgeons, OR nurse, anesthesiologist, etc. I struck up a conversation with the anesthesiologist and we chatted about anesthia and it's effects. I told him that I usually get naseous, and he said that he would take care of it. I gave my friend who accompanied me to the hospital the numbers to call (especially my father), and then it was off to the operating room.

I chatted with the OR nurse, greeted folks as they came into the operating room, said my last little prayer and the anesthesiologist did his job and put me to sleep.

The next thing I remember was that the face of the anesthesiologist. I guessed it was time to wake up. I saw my friend in the hallway, who told me that she called my father. They then took me to my room. I had to go to the bathroom, so I got up to go. My friend panicked and got a nurse because all I knew was that I had to "pee". She later told me that I said that all I wanted to do was pee and sleep.

As the anesthia began to wear off, I realized that I felt pretty good... I was not sick on the stomach, I just kept needing to go to the bathroom. After the second or third trip, I was able to go on my own. I woke up again after nodding out from the anesthia, and felt my stomach... there were NO bandages. I said, Lord did they do the surgery? I felt again, and I felt that my belly button was sore and I had two small sore spots on each side of my belly button, but NO bandages, NO staples.

I looked up to the heavens and thanked God for what He had already done. Dinner time came, and I ate what I could. I was still very sleepy from the anesthia, so I ate and nodded off to sleep, but managed to get through dinner. I had a few visitors.

After visiting hours, I was a little sore and asked for pain meds. The nurse brought me the meds and told me if I felt like walking I should to ward off pneumonia, and relieve the gas. I took another nap and around 9:25 pm, I got up, unplugged my IV unit and walked the hallways for 20 minutes, 5 times up and 5 times back. I returned to my room, watched tv, talked on the phone and slept. The nurses took my vitals interimly, drew blood and reported that all seemed well.

In the morning, one of my doctors came to visit and explained that the procedure went well, that I only had 1 (ONE) stitch and that I was released to go home. I ate breakfast, took a walk, dressed myself, got the IV's removed from my hands and met my ride outside... no wheel chair, and unassisted. I came home Friday morning and God's assigned people checked on me, visited me, helped me and showed sheer acts of kindness toward me.

I didn't know how it was all going to turn out... but God already had a plan. I'm still recovering, but I'm able to feed myself, shower, get around my house, and even work, yes work!

All I can say is... NOBODY but God!

A Woman Assigned
~Deneen

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