GRACE

We had an eventful 24 hours yesterday. It all started at 12 am Thursday morning. Ryan woke up with extreme pain...extreme pain...wait, did I stress that the pain was extreme...in his stomach. (I could write a few paragraphs about this pain and what the environment looked and felt like, but I'm going to take a rabbit trail here.)
Ryan and I experienced God's grace in a pretty spectacular way starting at 12 am Thursday morning. Let me count the ways, as I go...
1) The kids were sleeping soundly. 2) I had the where-with-all to wake up fully and think clearly. 3) Ryan stayed upright...although he felt like something had exploded in his stomach and was filling up quickly. 4)The ambulance arrived in about 5 minutes. 5) The officers/techs that helped us were kind, patient, helpful and comforting. 6) Ryan received pain meds on the ride to the ER. 7) I wasn't able to ride with Ryan in the ambulance because I was waiting for Katie to come stay with the kids...and she arrived about 5 minutes after the ambulance left our house. 8) I remembered Stephen, my brother, just happened to be in town and he came to relieve Katie and stay with the kids. 9) My dad called me on my drive to the hospital and helped me stay calm. 10) My friend Julie answered her phone and helped me get the # of one of our elders at church. 11) Our elder, Tom, woke right up, answered his phone, and within about 25 minutes of speaking with him, was at the hospital praying for Ryan and me and the doctors and expressing what we didn't know how to express. 12) Doctors were quite confident Ryan had kidney stones and were able to load him up with more pain medicine to help him be more comfortable. 13) Doctor and nurse were kind, explained everything to us, worked quickly and gave us results quickly. 14) CAT scan clearly showed 3 kidney stones, one had already passed...and it was huge...and Ryan had pain medicine in his system when it passed. 15) He didn't have to feel the worst of it all on his own. 16) Matt and Katie came and stayed with us at the hospital too. 17) With instructions and prescriptions in hand, Ryan rode home comfortably as my passenger. At 5 am. 18) Stephen got to get another few hours of solid sleep before he went back to his conference the next day. 19) Friends/family started calling us, checking in about 7 am. 20) Logan was awake by then and wasn't feeling well. My friends knew that I hadn't slept and those that were texting and calling, were telling me they'd be praying for extra patience with the kids, and grace to make it to nap-time. 21) God answered their prayers on my behalf. And Logan's antibiotic was still at the pharmacy ready to be picked up. 22) Dinner was brought to us. 23) Dear friends are still calling to check on Ryan. 24)They're also calling me to make sure I am alright..they knew I was scared and must be tired. If there's anything they can do to help, come pick up the kids for a few hours so I can sleep, they'd be there. 25) Ryan and I went to bed before 10 last night...and slept until 7am. 26) We had good food in the house today, such a comfort after scary stuff. 27) We all ate lunch together. 28) It's amazing how a scary moment can make you appreciate a day off of work and a simple meal together. 29) Ryan stayed home from work yesterday and today. 30) He's listening to his body and allowing himself to rest. 31) His high school game tonight is an early one. He can go to bed early again. 32) I got a nap today. I got to lay down at about 2pm. I woke up after 5:00 pm hearing play cars and trucks out in the living room... 33)Leah was awake, playing quietly and allowing me to sleep. 34) It's 5:34 pm and Logan is still asleep.
I used to love the song, "Count Your Blessings", when I was little. I always knew and understood what blessings were. While I could list all of these beautiful things as blessings, which they are, I've chosen to list them as GRACE. Ryan didn't deserve the grace shown him. He could have been out on the soccer field without me there. I could have had to take the kids with me to the hospital and sit there without any support. I could have had to make dinner last night being so tired. Ryan could have HAD to go to work feeling the way he did. He could have had so many other things that were awful...and we could have had poor insurance that would have caused another thing to stress about. God is so gracious.
The most special moment of the night for me as I look back is when Ryan and I were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. He was on his knees at the sink in the bathroom and I couldn't do a thing to help him. 34) We started praying together in between his surges of pain, and I have to tell you, I was calm until He left in the ambulance. God gave me the grace to remain in the moment and have perspective, for Ryan. Ryan was able to call out in prayer too, and I'm so thankful for that. He could have said a whole lot of other words and thoughts...35) I'm so thankful his heart cried out to our Heavenly Father. 36) God heard our prayers. 37)God is the giver of grace.