October 14, 2017 I was laid up in a hospital bed, separated from my family unable to move my lower body. I was uncertain of when I could go home and what kind of life I would lead once I did get back home. It was a desperate and miserable experience.
That night, thanks to several stories and posts on both Facebook and Instagram I was able to watch the wedding ceremony and reception of two friends. It was a bitter sweet experience. As grateful as I was for the virtual front row seat, I was left wondering if that was how I’d be experiencing life going forward; from a distance unable to truly participate in anything.
My prayer lists consisted of bullet points centred around being able to go home, being able to see my family and take care of myself, being able to take care of my children, being able to enjoy my marriage once again, to be free of pain, to be able to walk, to be free of depending on others to feed me, bathe me, clean me, rotate me.
I was discharged a couple of weeks later. I returned home unable to walk on my own, unable to use the bathroom on my own, unable to even be home on my own. Not the glorious homecoming I had been praying for.
Fast forward four years and there I was sitting behind the wheel of my car in the drive through line of the bank waiting for my turn. I was hot, tired and hungry because I had spent the morning doing errands and monitoring my children in virtual school. Yup, that’s me right there. In spite of all that I was feeling my heart was rejoicing.
Later that night Raul and I went out for dinner for our weekly date night. We walked into the restaurant and there sat our friends, the ones whose wedding I had watched from my hospital bed, celebrating their four year anniversary.
A good friend of mine @claudiacampbell ends each of her IG posts with her signature hashtag #ForThisIPrayed
As stressful as that Thursday had been, every single aspect of it, the good the bad and the ugly, was exactly what I had cried and prayed about in my hospital bed four years prior:
- To be home and not in the hospital
- To be able to see my family
- To be able to walk on my own
- To be able to take care of myself
- To be able to take care of my family
- To be able to enjoy my marriage
God has done a restorative work that is actually still ongoing and blows my mind daily. I’ll definitely be sharing more with you about my journey so keep watching this space.
What answer to prayer are you smack dab in the middle of right now? Let me know in the comments below.
Have a blessed day
#PainCantStopMyPraise
Wow, Danelle! I know I’ve felt a connection with you, and I’ve known a bit about some of your struggles. But I did not know that we shared the same date as our time in the hospital facing a life change.
Like you, I’m still in the ongoing phase of recovery. But what a blessing to be able to have the love and support of people like you.
Thanks for sharing! You are truly an inspiration.
It is interesting the things that God uses to create connections among us but knowing that He is in the midst and in control of it all makes a world of difference. So glad we’re both now on the recovery road and giving Him glory every step of the way.