Chinese Dates

I was soon properly into recovery mode. On Wednesday I was given a bed bath and helped with teeth cleaning. I was buttoned gently into a clean stripy gown. I brushed my hair. Much better. I could look at the lovely flowers I'd been sent, and the cards. A beautiful arrangement arrived from the B family, and then in person, the lovely R arrived to spoil me, so I chattered her ears off for about an hour.

Every cell in my body was shaking. I felt nauseous and constipation was settling in, but I was eating and drinking and was happy when my Boys visited. Thursday morning I was better, and the nurse helped me with a sit down shower. Two drains coming out of my side was not a pretty sight. Cleaned and fresh, I settled down to feel miserable. My stomach was so uncomfortable that I put 1 Peter 5 vs 7 (Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.) into action, and begged for help.

Half an hour later I was feeling uncommonly disappointed that nothing had changed, when the door opened and a lady came in, with a bunch of flowers and a brown paper sack. I greeted her with enormous surprise. (At this point I have to backtrack to the Thursday that I first went to Women's Imaging. That evening I did a new thing - I visited a family at night to discuss their needs for advocacy for their son with a disability. Although I knew her vaguely, that was the first time we had actually "met". I had had to rush the advocacy through and also their participation plan before I went into surgery, and she had found out I was in hospital). "how are you ?" she said with a big smile. Casting all propriety aside, I said miserably "constipated!" "I'm glad you said that ! (very big smile!) I was just in the health shop and felt I really had to get you some Chinese dates!"

I collapsed into laughter, and we had a wonderful chat as we shared that we were S'sIC. After an interesting chat about finding a church in Hobart, and Sunday school for children, she took my hands and we prayed together. As it turned out, although the dates helped in the long run, it was a really long run before that constipation issue was sorted out. Somethings the Lord just lets us go through, to come out better and stronger on the other side. The real answer to prayer came in that I had another Christian arrive to pray with me. (Matthew 18 vs 20: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.) and there He was.