A truth-proclaimin', prayer-requestin', struggle-sharin' sort of post

 Though the fig tree does not bud
       and there are no grapes on the vines,
       though the olive crop fails
       and the fields produce no food,
       though there are no sheep in the pen
       and no cattle in the stalls,

 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
       I will be joyful in God my Savior.

 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;

       he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

       he enables me to go on the heights.

 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

 

Hebrews 10:23

 

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

If you get a chance, would you mind praying for me and my heart? Tomorrow is one of my Remicade infusions. It's not all bad - I sit with my feet up in a recliner with the company of reading material and my fantastic nurse (and sister in Christ!) Penny. It's almost enough to make me forget that I have a needle in my wrist, which turns out to be the best place for IVs for me. 

 

(I never expected to know little bits o' trivia like where the best place for an IV would be. I'm in double digits for the number of IVs I've had at this point, though, so it's good knowledge to have.)

 

I'm fine every other IV, the ones when I get to just sit back and get my IV. This one isn't one of those, though. This one is one of my visits in which I go to see Penny, get my IV started, and then go see Dr. T. I really like him, but at appointments when I just see Penny I get to read and chat about school and books and faith and kids and life in general. At the appointments when I see Dr. T., we have to talk about rheumatoid arthritis. And not just in general terms, but in personal ones. Because God, for reasons that I don't fully understand and that I don't need to 'cause He's the God dude and I'm not, has deemed that RA be part of my testimony, even though I would have said, "RA? No thanks. How about Skittles or Starbucks chai tea lattes? I like those."

I don't like talking about my rheumatoid arthritis.

 

I really don't like it when we have to talk about drugs not working as well as we'd like them to and about next steps that we'd rather not have to consider and about what warning signs I need to pay attention to for complications (those related to meds and those related to the disease itself). And that's what our conversations will be tomorrow.

I realized after my last visit with Dr. T. that I need to be pre-prayer-ed for these appointments. If I'm not, I walk out feeling defeated by the circumstances of the world instead of victorious in the truth of our God. I think, knowing my heart, that the risk for that defeated feeling is high for this visit because (a) I'm recovering from an emotional weekend and (b) I don't expect our conversations tomorrow to be all rainbows and butterflies and unicorns.

Will you join me in prayer? I would really appreciate that. 

Thanks, y'all.