Thorns

Well, October has practically come and gone. The last two UK football games have been at either end of the celebration spectrum. And we've learned that it's hard to have faith in politicians or the financial systems. I want to be encouraging, but sometimes it's hard to do that with so much uncertainty in this world. But, I am certain of one thing......God's unchanging love.

In the summer of 2006, we were boating on the Green River. Mark brought us up to a sandy bank and as he jumped off the boat to tie us off he stepped right down onto a branch submerged under the water. This branch had nice long thorns on it and one of them was piercing the center of his instep. He pulled the branch off, and we proceeded with our day of socializing on the river with our friends. Once we got home, he asked me to examine it because he felt like he hadn't got all of the thorn out, it apparently had broken off in his foot. I looked and poked around on his foot as I often do for his splinters, but could find nothing. I suggested he go to a doctor, but he declined.

The weeks and months passed by and even though the surface wound healed over, he continued to complain about his foot hurting, even though he continued his life, working and doing all he normally would do. Apparently, this was not going to just go away on it's own. Eventually, it would get red, swollen and even reopen and ooze(gross, I know). I finally convinced him to go to a walk in clinic which he did. That doctor examined it, cleaned out the wound and said he couldn't see anything in the area.

When we moved to Georgetown, I convinced him, as the complaints progressively increased, to go see a doctor about it. He was then directed to a surgeon who ordered an MRI. Even though nothing specific showed up on the MRI, he thought surgery would be the best option, so he cut into Mark's foot looking for and attempting to erradicate the problem. We really hoped and prayed that this had taken care of it. During this same time, I was taking a Bible study by Stormie OMartian called The Power of the Praying Wife and continued to pray for Mark's foot, especially when we covered the chapter on "my husband's health".

Approximately three weeks after the surgery, the previously healed over area was now festering and oozing(I know) above and below the original wound. The doctor scheduled another surgery. I was praying throughout this ordeal as it was coming at a time of real uncertainty in our nation. Would this affect Mark's job? Would we be able to afford all these medical expenses? This was not a good time to have these kinds of concerns in an already shaky economy. I tried to keep my worries transformed into prayers because I had faith that God would bring us through this......just concerned about how much of a test it would be.

The second surgery was completed and Mark was back off to work and we were hoping and praying this would do it. Because the doctor had to do a second surgery, he sent off some specimens from the affected tissue. It was a bacteria in the staph family, but not the one you hear about. This became a scary issue as well. I heard awful stories of doctors removing half a man's foot due to a staph infection.

Then Mark called on Monday and Tuesday night, while working out of town, to tell me his foot hurt terribly, more than it had before, felt just like a needle in the original wound. I happened to be reading and doing my Bible study homework when he called the second night. I had been reading about unconfessed and unrepented sin in our lives. I was writing down prayers for us concerning our own sins, so when he called I delved right into it. He listened and even asked for explanations which I tried to give, best I could. I then rushed off to my daughters for supper that night and made it to my Bible study the following morning. I continued rushing around that day as I needed to walk the dogs and tend to the house and get to my Bible discussion group at church that evening. I was starting to get overly concerned about everything....Mark's foot, our finances, his job, the economy, the upcoming election and finally just prayed my way through the night about everything.

The following morning when the Mark called, I didn't want to admit that I was down, when he asked how my day was going, so, I asked how his morning was and he said he was great, jubilant, in fact!! The thorn had come out of his foot!! He had been rubbing on the scabbed over area and when the scab peeled back, it revealed a long black thorn sticking to the inner side of the scab. He picked it off and just rejoiced. It had happened on Wednesday, the day after I prayed for our unconfessed, unrepented sins. Following the phone conversation, I hit my knees and thanked God for removing the thorn.

I pray that you will ask God to remove any thorns from your life. Jubilation doesn't come around every day. I had never heard my husband say he was jubilant before, but after over two years, two doctors, two surgeries and an MRI God's simple act brought just that. Praise God!!

Have a great day, I need to take these doggies for their walks. luv, Susan
Sorry this is so long.