From an Overflowing Heart

 As I reflect over the past couple of weeks, my heart overflows with gratitude. 

Since my husband made the decision to proceed with back surgery (discectomy, to be precise), many prayers have been prayed.  They've been answered in so many ways and have strengthened my faith in the process.

I just wanted to share a brief list of the blessings we've encountered through this process.

• An earlier surgery date.  Originally, we tried to schedule the procedure for April 15th, the date that best accommodated some of my husband's work responsibilities.  However, the doctor already had three surgeries scheduled for that date, so we ended up with May 20th instead.  On my birthday, coincidentally, the surgery coordinator called to say that, due to a cancellation, we had a spot on April 15th!

• Family, friends, church family - both here and in Virginia - and blog readers who prayed!  Revelation 5:8 says that the 24 elders in heaven have "golden vials, full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."   I firmly believe that we added some delicious smells to those vials last week!

• A wonderful hospital.  My husband's surgery was done in the same hospital where our children were born.  The employees and volunteers always seem to try to make it as pleasant an experience as possible.

• Technology.  In the surgical waiting room was a monitor that allowed you to see the progress of the procedure on a graph, i.e. when the procedure started, when it stopped, where the patient was in the recovery process, etc.  I thought it was really cool, and had to restrain myself from jumping up to check it every two minutes.

• A skilled doctor.  The surgery took almost half of the time we were expecting it to take.

• Our very sweet teenage sitter coming to spend the day with the girls so they didn't have to hang out at the hospital.  A couple of others also volunteered to take the girls, if needed.

• A night at the hospital.  This was technically an outpatient procedure, but because it was scheduled later in the morning, they kept him overnight.  I was more comfortable with that - just in case he had needed special attention!

•  A bright, hospital lobby area where the girls enjoyed doing some school work while waiting for my husband to get discharged from the hospital.

• No more nerve pain for my husband!

• So many who called, e-mailed, texted, and messaged me to say they were praying for us that day, and to check on his recovery.

• Coworkers of  my husband who arranged to have supper delivered to us the day he came home from the hospital.  I was capable of cooking that night, but it was so nice to not have to think about it!

We're still in the recovery process, but I praise the Lord for answered prayer and for His faithfulness in bringing us through this so far!  If results had been different....God is still good and His grace is always enough.  But I want to give Him honor and glory for all of these answered prayers and blessings!