Great Is Thy Faithfulness 01/05/20

Frog City RV Park, Duson, Louisiana

A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?  ~ Proverbs 18:14

I’m gonna be lazy today.  I don’t know why, I just am. Maybe it’s a God thing because on the 7^th, the day I actually began working on this post, I’d spent a longer-than-normal time in prayer over a situation I had no control over. We re-visited the First Baptist Church in Rayne today (Sunday, 5^th), enjoyed the service and listened and learned as the Pastor spoke on love – for each other both within and outside of the church.  But instead of revisiting that message here, I’m giving you another segment of my God Moments Journal.  After discovering what was up next, I suspect it was God’s way of reminding me that He’s in control, and His mercies are greater than I could even hope to imagine.  I suspect this particular part has been posted before, but for those who may have missed it, here it is once again:

   The last experience I can think of related to Lakeview Animal Hospital revolves around a dog bite incident.  It sounds awful, but it was truly one of the best things that ever happened to me!  It allowed me to witness God at work in so many ways!  I would not have the testimony I do today without it!  My God is an absolutely, positively AWESOME GOD!!!  I’ve already written a testimony, which I shared with the congregation of Springfield Baptist shortly after.  I try to share with someone new every year around the May 9^th anniversary.  I’m just going to insert it here.  Read it and be amazed . . . . . . .

    For those of you who may not be aware, I work in a veterinary office.  On Thursday, May 9, 2002 sometime between 5 and 5:30 that evening, I was bitten by a 165# Great Dane we were seeing in the office.  It happened very fast and unexpectedly with no warning.  A bite first to my forearm and then to my hand.  The wounds themselves did not appear bad, especially considering the size of the dog!, but I was concerned about broken fingers and called Blaine to take me to City Hospital’s emergency room right away.  While there, I was given an hour and a half of IV antibiotics and a thorough cleansing of all wounds.  I left the hospital about 10:30pm with instructions to call for an appointment with Dr. Dietrich at the Summit Hand Center the next morning, for what I assumed was to look at and possibly set one finger with an apparent bone fragment.  I fully expected to be at work that afternoon.  But I really didn’t want my mom to have to take me all the way to Crystal Clinic, so Friday morning I called another doctor close to home to see about getting in there.  To their credit, they told me to see Dr. Dietrich.  My appointment was at 10:30am.  By noon, I was in surgery to relieve a severe infection that had set into 3 fingers literally overnight and following the surgery at Crystal Clinic, I went straight to St. Thomas Hospital for further treatments and observation. I spent 5 days in the hospital, was off work for 3 months, in therapy to rehabilitate my hand 5 months and released from the doctor after 11 months.

      I pray that you will indulge me the time to share my testimony – it’s rather lengthy, but I believe God would have me share it.  After all, what good is it to hide His light under a bushel?  We are meant to share, not only with non-believers in an attempt to introduce them to a living God who loves and cares for them, but also with fellow Christians as a means of encouraging one another.             

    The following is a list of things I’m thankful for relating to my accident.  As long as it is, it is not a complete list. As I go through it, I will stop occasionally to share an exceptional story.  It truly has been an extraordinary walk of faith for me.  

I’m thankful the wounds were not worse

I’m thankful that of all those who could have been bitten that night, it was me (had it have been the doctor, no one would have worked, one of the girls has a daughter confined to a wheel chair, the other was in college)

I’m thankful one of the girls at work told me to take off the ring my mother gave me when I turned 16

I’m thankful I was concerned about broken bones and went to ER since the wounds themselves didn’t look bad. I was told by the doctor later that the infection became so severe overnight that if I had waited to get treatment and hadn’t gone immediately to the hospital’s emergency room, I probably would have lost my hand and at least a portion of my arm.

I’m thankful Blaine was available to take me to the hospital immediately. 

I’m thankful for the woman who was at the entrance at City. She was very helpful to me, but I never saw her again.

I’m thankful City Hospital’s ER was very slow when we arrived and I was seen almost immediately

I’m thankful everyone working that night was kind, compassionate and skilled

I’m thankful the doctor on duty called a hand specialist

I’m thankful for the IV antibiotics and thorough cleaning I received as a result of that call

I’m thankful that Dr. Blanda’s office was more concerned with proper patient care than making money (this was the office that recommended that I go to Summit Hand Center the next morning right away instead of their office)

I’m thankful my mother was available and willing to take me to Crystal Clinic for my 10:30am appointment (even though she had to leave work and hates to drive)

I’m thankful for the kind and efficient staff at The Summit Hand Center

I’m thankful for the wisdom and skill of Dr. John Dietrich

   When he walked into the room that morning, he said “hi” as he looked down briefly at my hand which was lying on the desk, and immediately said, “You’re going into surgery now.”  I said, “you didn’t even look at the x-rays!” because I’m still thinking it’s only a broken bone. So he grabs an x-ray, holds it up to the light and says again, “You’re going to surgery now!”  I was speechless!  He was gone and a nurse was in almost immediately to get me ready. I could hear him on a phone at the end of the hall telling someone to reschedule all his appointments and get the surgery room & staff ready.  The surgery would take place there at the Clinic and then I would transfer to St. Thomas Hospital. In the mad rush, I asked my mom to call Blaine & my boss, Dr. Ron Southerland. It all happened so quickly that I asked her to tell Blaine not to even leave work, that we would call him from St. Thomas after I was settled there.

I’m thankful for the sympathetic waitress at the Akron Family Restaurant where Mom & I had to stop on the way to St. Thomas because I was so nauseous.  I had to get something to eat.

I’m thankful for the kindhearted and friendly staff at St. Thomas Hospital

I’m thankful for the bookmark I found in a book I asked Blaine to bring me that I hadn’t read in years.  It said,  “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord” (Romans 8:28) I had it put up on the board in my room.

I’m thankful for the physical therapy staff at St. Thomas Hospital

    While the bite wounds themselves only consisted of three small cuts across the knuckles of my 3^rd and 4^th finger and near the tip of the 1^st one, my surgery required 9 different incisions to clean out the infection that had set in. Those incisions were then packed with fabric drains that had to be removed and my hand soaked in a whirlpool twice a day.  After I returned to my room following the whirlpool therapy, the nurses repacked the drains into the incisions. On the first morning at St. Thomas (Saturday, May 11^th), I was taken to the therapy room and the therapist slowly began trying to remove one of the drains. To say it was excruciating would definitely be an understatement!  It was so painful that even the therapist became visibly very upset that her orders required her to hurt me so badly. She would tug a little, apologize profusely and get up and leave me to soak for a while, only to return and try again. The problem wasn’t because the drains were stuck, either.  Even I knew that, and I also knew that probably no amount of soaking was going to make it less painful.  After several attempts and many minutes of trying unsuccessfully to remove the drains, a doctor came in the room and asked how things were going. (and no, I wasn’t screaming – even tho I could have!)   And so – – –

I’m thankful that Dr. David Engles, the weekend doctor on call from the Summit Hand Center, came to the therapy room and stopped the packing removal, and changed my record to read giving morphine 30 minutes prior to therapy rather than every few hours.  The best part of this particular story is that after he left, I thanked the therapist for going to get him.  She looked at me and said, “I didn’t, and the doctors NEVER come in here.”

I’m thankful for potent pain medications – which I only needed prior to the whirlpool therapy

I’m thankful for powerful antibiotics

I’m thankful Dr. Engles allowed me to shower when the nurses didn’t think I should

I’m thankful for all the expressions of love and concern given by so many. To this day, there are still people who ask about my recovery (as of this original writing in 2002

I’m thankful Edwin Shaw refused to see me.

   After I was released from the hospital, once again, in my selfishness, I didn’t want to be driven or drive all the way to Crystal Clinic for daily therapy.  Dr. Dietrich said that was OK, but I must find a therapist who specialized in hands and I must start immediately.  I called Edwin Shaw and was told that they did have one, but that they couldn’t see me until my worker’s comp claim was approved – weeks or months later!  In frustration, I hung up the phone and sat at the kitchen table and prayed, “OK God, I’ve been trusting You in this so far, I’m just going to trust you now.  Wherever you want me to go, even if it’s all the way to Crystal Clinic every day, I’ll do it.”  I felt better and called St. Thomas next, reasoning that they had just seen me so if they had hand therapists, I should be able to get in and it was still closer than Crystal Clinic.  I was able to get into St Thomas right away, with the help of my new chauffer, my mother-in-law Joan. My first visit I met Denise Elsey.  After she questioned me and filled out paperwork, she asked to be excused for a minute.  I assumed she was considering her course of action, but when she returned, she said, “You live in Green, right?”  “Yes.”  “I take my daughter to Green High School every morning, how would you feel about meeting me at the new Y for therapy?”  I couldn’t believe it! It required driving on 3 back roads and about 5 minutes from my house!  I could drive that easily and with only my left hand!  Immediately I said, “Yes!”    And so – – – –

I’m thankful for Denise Elsey, my hand therapist, who suggested we meet at the YMCA in Green

   But there’s even more.  Shortly after we started, with no knowledge of her spiritual convictions (or lack of them), I sent her a thank-you note (written very slowly with my left hand 😊) and told her how I knew she was an answer to prayer, explaining the process of our meeting.  The morning after she received it, I was greeted at the door with a hug and told that, for years she had wondered if she was where God wanted her.  My note confirmed that for her.  And during therapy, she told me of her struggles to find God’s will for her life.

I’m thankful that for 11 months Dr. Dietrich expressed his amazement at my progress. On occasion, he

would even bring in an intern to see me.  At one of our last meetings, I reminded him that my faith was very important to me and that for me to try to fully understand the healing God had given me, I needed to know why he was so surprised.  He explained that mine was one of the worst bite wounds he had ever treated.  Usually they require 2 or maybe 3 incisions.  Mine required 9 and the fact that I was sitting across the table from him almost 100% restored was, in his words, “nothing short of remarkable!”

I’m thankful for the love and care given me by my husband and 2 sons, both in and out of the hospital. I never once heard a complaint, but Blaine expressed great joy when I could fold laundry again! (blue jeans were the last to conquer!)

I’m thankful that one year later, almost to the day and just as my hand therapist told me, I could put back on the ring my mother gave me.

I’m thankful that the following December, I accidentally discovered that I could snap my fingers again

I’m thankful that I have almost 100% use of my hand again

I’m thankful that even now, I’m still able to share my testimony and praise God for it to numerous people I come into contact with.

I’m thankful to be able to see God work in my life through all of this – from the very moment it happened

I’m thankful God allowed me the privilege of witnessing Him use me to touch the lives of some of those I’ve come into contact with and for using me to touch the lives of others in ways I’m not even aware of

I’m thankful for the testimony this accident has allowed me to share about the love, mercy & grace of the God I worship & adore!!

   Almost since the moment of the accident, I was blessed with the irrefutable knowledge of God’s presence in my life and the privilege of being permitted to be used as He unfolded a small portion of His great plan.  And I am certain that there has been much more to His plan because of this than I will probably ever know.  I certainly do not believe that God “caused” my accident, or that it was His will.  But I do believe that it was allowed and what Satan may have intended for evil, God intended for good. 

   About a week ago, as I was sharing a small portion of this story with a Study group, a friend mentioned to the newcomers the remarkable healing I had received – I think because I didn’t really say much about the actual healing part.  It caused me to really think about why didn’t I dwell on it?  I’ve since come to the realization that right or wrong, to me the actual healing is secondary.  Maybe I’m not as grateful as I should be, maybe I’ve always taken it for granted. But for me, the glorious part of this testimony is in recognizing all the seemingly small, everyday things that happened.  This entire list of things I’m thankful for – and probably more that I just didn’t write down.  I’ve come to realize that I really don’t focus on the healing and I really don’t want to, because I know that not everyone receives healing.  I don’t even remember ever praying for healing, though I know others did. My heart’s desire has always been to be a witness God would be pleased with. For everyone who hears any portion of this story, whether they are believers or not, to see at least a glimpse of a living God. And to be willing to be used by Him somehow. I think most people can see the intricate workings of God thru this story whether they want to admit it or not.  I realize now that the purpose of sharing this testimony is to encourage those who hear it to see how God is intimately involved in every way in each of our lives.  It’s just up to us to recognize Him.

    I believe we have two choices when life happens to us.  We can become angry or bitter and cry “Why?!”  or we can see the situation as an opportunity to learn & grow, look for reasons to be thankful, and discover how God is truly involved in each and every aspect.  I believe God would have us find reasons to give thanks in all circumstances & to acknowledge His presence in both the good and the bad.  This is our duty, the reason He created us – to glorify Him.  And as I have discovered these past years, it provides a perfect opportunity to plant seeds in the hearts and minds of people I never would have come in contact with, let alone spoken to about my Lord. 

Following lunch, we headed over to a boat launch area to spend the afternoon paddling the Vermillion River.  It’s probably the brownest and ‘dirtiest’ water we’ve ever paddled, but the homes along it were scenic.

And just as we were ready to turn around and head back (the entire paddle area is about 20 miles long), I got a call from our good friend Jeannine.  She and her husband, Brad have made the decision to meet us at Davis Mountain State Park, Texas for a week!  They’re flying into El Paso, renting an RV and staying in the same Park.  We’re so excited to get to spend to spend time with them.

Dinner tonight was at the much acclaimed and therefore anticipated . . . .  truck stop next door.  Crazy, huh?  But it was inexpensive and really good!  Burgers, wedge fries (jojos back home) and boudin balls (better than the ones I made).  And we took some frozen boudin links home to cook another time.

Here’s good story for those of you from up north – or just about anywhere else, I’m thinking.  I was talking to one of the employees about their frozen meat products.  Specifically, smoked vs regular boudin.  As she tried to describe it, I said, “Sounds kinda like kielbasa.”  To which she replied, “I don’t know what that is.”  I chuckled as she said with a grin, “We’re exchanging cultures, here!”  hahaha!  We bought the regular.  😊  And now my limited freezer space is full of sausage products.

Tomorrow we move to a stated neither of us has ever visited before!  The Lonestar State!