Pride

Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

As I have been working through Colossians Bible study with some really "cool girls".  Today's lesson hit home for me.  I shouldn't try to be doing this alone.  See, I have this pride issue.  I think I am strong.  I think I can do things on my own.  I think that I really don't need anyone (including Jesus).  I am surely good enough.  But guess what, that is all a lie from Satan.  God did not design us to do life on our own just like God knew we were not good enough to make our way into his perfect Heaven.  We needed someone to do it for us.   Colossians 2:14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.  Yes God in his infinite wisdom knew we needed an avenue of escape.  For that same reason God does not want us to do life by ourselves.  He has placed people in our paths to encourage, support and pray for us.  

So this week has pretty much sucked.  It all started with that nasty stomach bug.  You know the story of the uncontrollable puking in the parking lot....look back on my blog if you would like to have a good laugh at my expense.  I will give you a little break down:  Mom - puking on Monday...Annabelle on Thursday....Tim and Titus on Friday....Noah and Andrew.....Sunday night.  Yes, we like to spread our suffering out.  The joys of a large family a sickness can last for weeks.  

So this is where the whole pride things starts coming into play.  I was scheduled to have a small procedure on Tuesday morning.  You know one of those you go to the hospital they put you to sleep ....they wake you up and you go home the same day.  All is well with the world and you get to go back to work in a couple of days and all is grand.   I even had a friend on stand by to bring the family supper that night.  She insisted and how could I say No even though I felt a little guilty about it.   We have all kinds of stuff in the freezer...pizza, pizza rolls, chicken nuggets, bagel bites....seriously we could eat for weeks.    No one has to feel sorry for you or check on you because you are a strong woman and you need no help.  (okay maybe those were just my feeling....not all women in general)  Well things didn't really turn out as planned....I did go home but my bladder decided that it didn't really like this working thing so I ended up back in the er that night.  Come to find out that you really need your bladder to work and if it doesn't you feel that you could explode at any moment.   So that wasn't the biggest issue, about this time Andrew started having severe abdominal pain.  You know the kind that you ball up in the floor and scream for your parents to make it stop.  We gave pain meds and prayed for it to stop because this momma really needed to go to the ER to have her situation taken care of.... ASAP.  Imagine being on a long road trip where the driver refuses to stop for hours and hours and then multiply that pain by 10000.  I might not be remembering this exactly right....but it is close. 

By this time we knew we would have to call in reinforcements.  Nannie to the rescue!!!!  Nannie and Pops started driving this way.  We got Andrew calmed enough to go back to sleep as we snuck out to head to the ER.  The thing about going to the women's hospital there is none of this waiting around.  They get you in and let me tell you a catheter was my best friend.   I could have kissed that nurse.  (so if that is to much information you might want to stop reading now) .    So we head home.

Nannie decided it might be best to stay for a while incase she is needed again.....which she was.  Wednesday night Andrew's pain hits again.  We take him to the doctor and they decide that a CT scan will be needed.  Of course by this time it is almost five so we have to go to the ER to have this done.  (second ER trip in a week...this is a record for us).  So after about a five hour ordeal they decide he has a condition called Mesenteric Adenitis.  Basically the lymph nodes are inflamed due to the stomach bug we have all had.  Sent him home with pain meds and a bland diet for a few days.  We were praising the Lord for no surgery.  The first doctor thought he might have an obstruction in his bowels.  It is amazing what they can tell about CT.  We get home about 11 that night.  At this point all I can think about is my bed.  I really really want my bed.

The next morning is the big day..no more catheter.  I should be able to have this removed and all will be well with my world again.  My bed and I will become friends again and I will surf the internet and watch reruns of old shows.  Things didn't quiet go as planned....  That evening back to the ER.  Dang this bladder.  Seriously people you really need your bladder to work.  Good thing Nannie was still here.  Andrew was having another pain attack and I needed a ride to the ER.  At this point my pride is pretty much out the window.  Pajamas in the ER....I don't really care.  Can you say three ER visits in one week...that has to be some kind of record.    

So back to my beginning point....This whole time I tried to keep everything private and not have to ask for help from anyone not even my family.  I know I have many friends that would have come to my rescue if I had just said something.  Now I just think of all the prayers that could have been lifted up for me and my family if I had not been to prideful to let the need be known.    There is so many times that pride keeps us from lifting our needs up to the only one that can truly fix the issues for us.  We just keep on trying to do it ourselves.  

I am not writing this post to get sympathy because I don't want it.  I do want and need others to be praying for me and our family.  And I am pretty sure there are others in this same situation.  They have let their pride cause them not to come to their brothers and sisters in Christ to lift their needs up to a Father who loves them dearly and hears our prayers.

So since I am just hanging out at home right now....how can I pray for you.  Message me....seriously if will give me something else to focus on.