Cautiously Optimistic

Energy is better than it has been!
No pain medicine during the day today!
Diarrhea is less today!  
Best of all - Todd comes home tonight!  

Trying so hard not to get too excited, but perhaps I have turned the corner??  It has been 8 days since my stent placement and until yesterday, I really did not see much difference between the days - lots of time in the bathroom and on the couch!  Yesterday, I felt good enough to go to lunch with a friend (found an organic restaurant near me!  True Seasons Organic Kitchen - great food!)  It sounds silly, but it was so exciting to go to a restaurant and order without having to study the menu before going to find something that is in my diet!  It is the little things!  

Today I had good energy.  Made sure to sit and rest a lot and try to not wear myself out....which i am not good at!  

When I came back to have my stent placed, we were in the middle of a 1 month trip that was to have included a vacation to Boston and then while Todd was in class, I was going to meet my cousins on Long Island for some R&R.  I encouraged Todd to go anyway and  tho he was not happy about me having this done without him, he agreed.  We are both learning to trust more!  :)  One of my friends took very good care of me in a loving, "gently bossy" way-which many of you know that I need!! :)  Very thankful! 

A friend sent me this devotion and I thought it was so powerful.  My mother used to refer to "Watchful Waiting."  

Our Daily Bread -- Marking Time July 19, 2016

Read: Psalm 25:1-15 Bible in a Year: Psalms 23-25; Acts 21:18-40 Let no one who waits on You be ashamed. —Psalm 25:3 nkjv The military command, “Mark Time, March” means to march in place without moving forward. It is an active pause in forward motion while remaining mentally prepared and expectantly waiting the next command. In everyday language, the term marking time has come to mean “motion without progress, not getting anywhere, not doing anything important while you wait.” It conveys a feeling of idle, meaningless waiting. In contrast, the word wait in the Bible often means “to look eagerly for, to hope, and to expect.” The psalmist, when facing great difficulties, wrote: “O my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed” (Ps. 25:2-3 nkjv). We often have no choice about the things we must wait for—a medical diagnosis, a job interview result, the return of a loved one—but we can decide how we wait. Rather than giving in to fear or apathy, we can continue to “march in place,” actively seeking God’s strength and direction each day. “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day” (vv. 4-5 nkjv). —David McCasland Lord, give me grace to embrace the pauses in my life, and to be prepared to follow Your next command. Waiting on God is active trust in Him.

May we all learn to be thankful for our times of watchful waiting.  May we strengthen our faith and each other in the Lord during those times!  

Thank you for waiting with me and praying that this kidney heals so I can get on with fighting my battle!  Thank you for the cards, messages, calls, and  sweet, thoughtful gifts and food.  Y'all are so loving and caring!  Thanks for checkin' in!