A Thermometer Of Faith

Hey Y'all!

Are you stuffed with Turkey and cranberry sauce? Can you ever eat enough cranberry sauce? I bet you now know what my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal is...the cranberry sauce! But the candied sweet tators come in a close second.

We had a eventful but amazing Thanksgiving trip. We left Tuesday night about 7:00 and drove about 5 hours before stopping for the night. It was late so we all three quickly snuggled down for the night in our big king size bed. Sometime in the night, Zoie crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom. Since we are all sharing a bed and I'm the mom, I of course woke up. She took a while and just when in my half awake state I begin to wonder if my nine year old had snuck down to the lobby for her dad a morning surprise coffee (she would never do this by the way...I did say I was half asleep.) She crawled back in bed saying her legs hurt. I reached over and pulled her into a snuggle....and jumped straight up out of bed.

"Zoie, do you feel bad baby?"
"Yes, Mama but I don't have a fever!"
" Yes! You do! Mike! Wake up...She's burning up! Where's the Motrin? I know I packed it. Oh, thank you God, I remembered to pack it! Oh no! I didn't remember the dispenser cup! I don't know how much to give her! Let me see if I can find something?"

As I am running around the motel room looking for a spoon or something I could measure out the medicine in, Zoie is crying. Mike is holding her and trying to console her.

"I can't have a fever! I want to go to Nana's."
"Did you pack the thermometer?"
"NO! I forgot that too!"

I found a empty plastic water cup and turned it caddy-cornered and poured in the Motrin into the corner of the cup doing a mother's best guess at what two teaspoons might be.

I grabbed another cup and put some water in it and gave her the medicine with a water chaser. She would have rather had sweet tea but you do with what you got! We then went back to bed.

Zoie went to sleep. Mike went to sleep. I worried and kept touching her belly all night. At one point, She was burning up again and sweating at the same time. I took this as as a good sign. Her fever was breaking.

What should we do? How high had that fever been. It felt like it was when she had the flu. What if it is the flu? We can't take it to Louisiana. Does she need antibiotics? She said her neck hurt, could it be Spinal meningitis?

Oh.....how the enemy loves to make us moms worry! The night was a terrible battle with no peace and no answers. I prayed for wisdom and fought off irrational worry. (If I hadn't battled it we would have spent the night in the emergency room.)

The next morning, no fever. She still did not feel well but no fever. We still did not know if we should head on or head back. We asked the front desk clerk if there was a drug store near-by. I needed a thermometer. I did not trust my hand. I needed to know what her exact temperature was...right now! So we left and drove to a drugstore and plopped the newly bought thermometer right into her mouth. Normal! We decided to go on.

Our whole direction depended on that little thermometer's reading. It did for the rest of the trip. Our faith and guidance was wrapped up in that little black digital reading and tiny beeps.

It made me think...If I received so much peace out of a little stick that measures temperature...what peace should I receive from God's word? I honestly had put more faith in that thermometer, than I had in the plans I had already believed was God's for our trip.

While worrying and pleading/praying the night before, I had asked God to take away the fever so we could go on and not turn back. Why had I not trusted my own judgement or hand to tell that the next morning. No, I needed the thermometer to tell me it was OK to go on.

Now that thermometer, is a reminder for me to trust. I don't need man's devices to tell me what I should do. I just need to trust the great hand of God when I can't tell what the temperature is and what I should do.

We had a fantastic time and Zoie stayed well. She was achy at times and more tired. But happy and well. God blessed our trip.

I hope yours was as wonderful but not as eventful!

I love you all!
Pamela