testimony....

I have fallen way behind on blogging. I believe every post for the past year has stated that. But in my mind, I have a list of "must writes" and this post is one of them. I am not that great of a scrapbooker...good intentions don't seem to produce much...so I know this blog will be some thing my kids look back on...something I look back on....So knowing that...I must push through my no -posting phase and rejoin my documenting life...not to mention, my mom likes reading it. :)

Psalm 78:4 "We will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
His power, and the wonders He has done."


Many already know but about 2 months ago I picked up Benjamin at pre-school and he told me on the way to the car "Today during nap time I stuck something up my nose." In a moment of great parenting I said, "You better not of." and gave him a very stern look. He looked at me sheepishly and said OK. That was on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday night as everyone was going to sleep I was lying in bed reflecting on the weekend...My thought process went something like this..."Benjamin has sure been whiny this weekend...he keeps saying his nose hurts...He came out of both of his t-ball games twice and said he would rather just sit...he never does that...Lord. give me wisdom...immediate flash to Thursday pre-school conversation. The kid has something up his nose." I go check on Benj...he is sleeping soundly.

Sunday morning...Benj awakens...we talk... he confesses to putting a large chunk of the bottom of his shoe up his nose.(He peeled it off during nap time and did not have anywhere else to put it.) We go to urgent care...Dr. pulls out 2 inch piece of rubber out of Benjamin's nose...We have a long talk on the way home about how we do not stick things up our nose...but honestly we find the whole thing amusing...We pay an amazingly huge doctor bill for this amusement but we consider our lesson learned.

I am laying the groundwork for the testimony with that story.

Flash forward one month...I get the call from Benjamin's pre-school that while playing on the playground he appears to have stuck a rock in his ear. They are concerned because it looks like it is pretty far down there. I wish I could say I was immediately flooded with compassion for my son....reality is, I was flooded with annoyance. I go pick Benjamin up and we head to the Dr. all the while he sits in the back of the suburban explaining that he really has no idea how the rock got into his ear... he thinks maybe he threw it up in the air and it landed in his ear. I am still not finding humor. I can tell he is very uncomfortable. This begins our journey...I am imagining this will be alot like the nose and the rock will come out quickly...Not so...We left Benjamin's school at 10:45...by 4 we have seen 4 different doctors...all wonderful...the last one schedules us for surgery to be performed early in the morning to remove the rock.

I can honestly say that not at one point during all of our scheduling, driving, talking, did I pray, in my head, out loud, with Benjamin....not once. It was not until around 6 that night when the surgery center called and said they would need $1789.00 to admit Benj the next morning that I realized I had yet to invite the Lord into this situation. But as soon as I hung up that phone I called Benjamin and explained to him (And Payton, our family eavesdropper) that we needed the Lord to move that rock. We all three got down on our knees and prayed. We called Tony, who upon hearing the surgery center admittance fee also joined us in prayer. I proceeded to call every member of our family and beg them to join us in asking the Lord to move that rock. In an act of faith I called the surgery center and ask what number I will need to call in the morning if the rock comes out. The nurse was kind and amused but gave it to me anyway.

From that point on we were walking around in constant conversation with the Lord. Move that rock. I was talking to my dad that night at the boy's t-ball game and he asked if the doctors had said anything about how to get it out. I told him that one had stopped me in the hall and said, "off the record if it was my kid, I would get a q-tip, put some super glue on it and let it adhere to that rock and then pop it out." We both agreed though that getting the super glue in Benj's ear was too risky...

That night at the game we ran into another elder at our church. I asked him if after the game he would pray over Benjamin. I then told him the story. My dad and him began talking...and together they devised a plan. If we were able to cut a straw to where it was just long enough that we could put it on the rock, perhaps that could guide our dot of super glue down to the rock and then we could allow it time to adhere.

Tony, ever the confident optimist, said let's try it and went to Walgreens and spent $2.89 on super glue. It is easy to make this story lighthearted now...but the tension of wanting this to go well was huge. I was mindful that if it did not work I would be the one taking my child to surgery with now a rock and a super glued q-tip to the hospital.

To say we were prayerful is an understatement. I kept telling the Lord, "I ask your forgiveness for you not being my first response...but we are wholeheartedly giving you this now." We all prayed yet again, explained to Benjamin the process and then prayed again. Benjamin laid on his side like a champ. Never moved, never cried, never even squirmed. He was the picture of total trust. My dad and Tony worked together like an incredible team. Straw in ear touching rock, Stick lowered down through straw with a touch of super glue on it, wait...wait...Becky tries not freak out...then lift... My mom stood over us and prayed the whole time. 3 different times we went through the agonizing process of trying to get the rock...with every attempt I grew more unsure. Until the last time when Tony lifted that rock out of Benj's ear and a shout went up to the Lord that I am sure startled our neighbors.

We of course took Benj to our pediatrician early the next morning who looked him over and pronounced him perfect. We were thrilled, thankful and overwhelmed.

I had told a few people this story and had followed it up with I don't think I will ever post this...its a bit too crazy and yet the lesson learned by me is one that can't be shared wihout first telling the story. Prior to this day, I would of told you...my first response is most often to talk with the Lord...He and I are in constant conversation. But on this May day, I learned that too often...in stress, in annoyance, in my flesh...the Lord is the furthest thing from my mind. I long for that to be different. I long for our children to see Him as our first response because we are certainly praying He will be theirs. We love them so much. We have never wanted to do anything more right than raising them.

Oh Benjamin, someday you will read these words with your own eyes and wonder aloud if it really happened. We were there and witnessed it. We asked the Lord to keep you from surgery and this time, for reason only He knows, He delivered. We know He was with us through every moment...even when we had not asked for His Presence, but oh my son, the power in asking for His Presence is amazing. As you grow may you know Him well enough to know when you want more of Him...He is ready to give it, and give in abundance. You are our precious "all boy, boy". You take us on adventures we never dreamed of...line up all the 4 year old boys in the world and give us a choice...we wouldn't even look twice. YOU ARE OURS. We love you so!

*** stick with the rock immediately after extraction




*** piece of rubber pulled out of Benjamin's nose