Butterflies and Kisses

Hello my friends, yes....it's me! =) I am home and resting. I will say right up front that I had EXCELLENT care at Liberty Hospital! They were so wonderful and compassionate.

That being said, I have to share an awesome story with you. It began last Friday, actually, when we went out to the Watkins Mill Christmas Party. I shared a short testimony of my situation with the kids and they were overwhelmingly curious, gentle and so loving towards me. (Watkins Mill is a place for troubled teens- our worship team goes out each Christmas to do a party with them and have such a great time!)
While there, a young man came up to me and told me he was giving me a nickname. "Mari Posa" sp? meaning "Butterfly" in english. I asked him why he chose that specific name and he said, "Because a butterfly flies free and overcomes anything/everything." Wow! You can imagine how shocked I was to hear this from him, but even more so- my mom had just sent me a package in the mail and in it was three butterflies (one for each) that she "randomly" placed in there for us. How cool! So, here is the really awesome part. I was going back for surgery, being wheeled into the OR, when I looked over at this wall and guess what was painted all over it? Yes, butterflies. I asked the nurse if he had given me any meds yet or if I was hallucinating! There were in fact, butterflies and the last nurse I saw before I closed my eyes, wore a shirt and written across the front was "BELIEVE". So I did. I felt like those were tiny and huge reminders that we serve a God that is so into the details of our life. Let me say this again, HE IS SO GOOD! All glory to Him.

 I did hear good news today as well...they feel like they got it all, and the preliminary pathology reports are showing that it is NOT the aggressive type of cancer they suspected. AND they definitely caught it early. I asked my family Dr. why he even thought to send me to get a mamm./ultrasound in the first place? He said - "honestly I felt like the Lord told me to. I had no idea how to explain it to the Ins. Co., but I did it anyways." I am so thankful he did.

I remember waking up from surgery and I was crying. The nurse just put her face down by mine and said, "Honey, you are going to be OK. The Lord is with you." You know what? I never saw her again. Her name was Donna, and when I asked after her again, they said no one by that name worked in that dept. I just remember she held me and kissed my face. Amazing. Her face is branded in my memory.

This morning they removed the bandages and I just wept. There really isn't a way to prepare yourself for that moment, but I felt so comforted by the fact that He is Emmanuel and He will NEVER leave me.

That is all for now. I am tired and need to rest. Much love to all of you. Keep trusting....He is worthy.