It reminded me of the day that I found out that I had a tumor on my brain. I have been blessed with such good health that never in a million years would I have expected to hear the words, "You have a mass in your left frontal lobe". I knew right then that I was going to be learning words that I had never heard before and really had no desire to learn. However, as with all things in life, you can only take what you have been given and run with it.
I found that the best thing to do, for me anyway, was to find out all that I could about the "mass" that had invaded my brain. Thanks goodness for the internet. What did we do without it. Of course, it can be a curse and a blessing. We are able to find out everything we need and much more. In a way, it was comforting to find out the "most meningioma are non malignant". However, right on the heels of find that out, I found out that a high school friends husband was suffering from the same thing and eventually died from it, so, what to believe.
So what did I do? I prayed for "a sign". I know, we are not supposed to pray for signs, but I needed to know right then that my Heavenly Father knew me and what I was experiencing. It is funny how prayers are sometimes answered. I needed to get some blood work done before the visit to the neurologist and having the mri. To have this done I had to go to a separate medical office where they did blood draws. There were numerous of these offices on the island of Oahu in this company.
When I was called into the little room to have it done, a nice young, well groomed man came in to wait on me. As we visited, he asked me where we lived and what we were doing in Hawaii. After telling him that we were serving a mission at the PCC, he told me that he too was LDS. I asked him how many of his co workers at all the offices were LDS, and he said, "I believe, I am the only one". Now to many of you reading this, that wouldn't have been a big deal, but remember, I had prayed for a sign that Heavenly Father knew me and what I was going through at that particular moment. He sent the only LDS phlebotomist in this medical group on the whole island of Oahu to be mine at the very moment I needed him. How kind and loving is that. How certain I was from then on that He did know me and cared about me and heard my prayers.
As for Don's heart surgery, we are taking this step by step. It has been interesting how God has placed people around me that have answered questions that we have regarding what to do about the surgery. One was a gentlemen (I would call him older, but......) I met in WalMart. I was looking at things that Don might be able to drink when he just needed something that was good for him. As I picked up a package of drink, this person, also took two six packs of this drink....something like Ensure. So being me, I asked him if he liked it and if it was helping him. He says, "Well, I have had some health issues and this just hits the spot when I need it". Oh, what kind of health issues, I asked..... I am not kidding you, he said, "I just had an aortic heart valve replaced. I did pretty good for someone 90 years old." Coincidence....I don't think so.
Do I always remember these miraculous occurrences? No. But I am trying to be better. Trying to look for the small, simple blessings that come my way each day. I am trying to rely more on the promptings that I can receive if I am only open to them and listening for the whisperings of the Spirit. I am trying to be more grateful for the good things in my life, which are innumerable.
I believe that whether it is Don's heart problem or the "mass" in my brain, all will turn out just the way it is supposed to. Just so you know, "God has a plan"!
