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Topic: Rejoicing (11/22/04)
TITLE: Rejoice? It's my choice! By Susan Klein 11/29/04 |
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“Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel…..” the Christmas carols invite me, remind me, encourage me to focus on the joy of the season. Christian music is always playing when I drive. I sing along and my burdens are lifted and my spirits soar. And, lately, I’ve had lots of time to listen and sing along.
I’ve worn a path to the doctor’s office over the last two weeks. I don’t need global positioning anything in my van – it’s stuck in a rut straight to the clinic and back. First it was my oldest. “Tonsillitis,’ the on-call doctor decided “and the strep test was negative. Just give her ibuprofen to keep the temperature down and make sure to give her all ten days of the amoxicillin.” Four days later it became “she has a very obvious pneumonia. We’d like to keep her in the hospital overnight for IV antibiotics but with four other children at home I understand if you want to take her home. Watch for these symptoms and rush her to the hospital if they occur.” What happened to the tonsillitis? “Rejoice, rejoice….”
The night before the “recheck” for my oldest my younger daughter started running a temperature. “Ha,” thought I, “I already have an appointment for the morning. I’ll just take her along.” Examining my older daughter the doctor asked “has she been coughing?” My youngest coughed. “Less than before,” I answered. My youngest coughed again. “She’s doing better but there’s still a rattle in her lungs…” My youngest had a coughing fit. Another hour with x-rays and blood work presented us with a good news/bad news finding. “Her blood work is normal!” Rejoice! “She has pneumonia.” Again I say rejoice?
Two girls, two weeks, two bottles of antibiotics and nebulizer treatments four times a day for each girl. Two more appointments scheduled. Rejoice, things are getting better now.
With the worst behind us now we decorated the house this weekend. The girls are both feeling better and coughing less. The oldest is almost off her restrictions. Rejoice! The youngest is showing great signs of improvement. Again I say rejoice! We played Christmas music all day Saturday. We decorated the tree. We watched The Legend of the Candy Cane and ate little candy canes. We danced. We sang. We laughed. We baked a marble brownie cheesecake. REJOICE! It was another put it in the scrapbook memory day….and then my son said, “Mommy, my throat hurts.” Again I say….what was that word?
Luckily the emergency room of the hospital is connected to our medical clinic. My van knows the way. Sunday morning found us there. “Strep throat,” the doctor on call said. “Be sure to give him all ten days of his antibiotic.” Rejoice.
These are the days someone forgot to tell me about. But I’ve decided that it doesn’t matter now anyway. As I look at each adorable face and hold each little hand I rejoice just because God chose me for their mommy. I rejoice that He gave me a husband that helps me. I rejoice that we have well trained doctors available and medical facilities that are clean and close. I rejoice that we have medicines. I rejoice that I get to share everything in their little lives with them right now. Even the bad days. I rejoice that Jesus offers me eternity to love my children. “Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel…”
I’m holding that thought…I have two more sons.