Get your praise on...

Wednesday was a GREAT day! I MUST share! I didn't have time to get my thoughts together then, but I need to give credit where credit is due. I have to tell you about the way the Lord provided for our family this past week. We're praisin' God in the Duty home because he brought us through a trial these past few weeks and truly answered our prayers. Let me explain.

Two weeks ago I took a glucose test (which is required during pregnancy) so they could check my blood sugar and see if was at normal levels. They tend to increase when you are pregnant so everyone is required to do this. It takes about an hour, you have to drink some nasty orange soda (which is pure sugar) and then they take your blood. No big deal.

Well last week I got a call from the nurse. She said something to the effect of she was calling to tell me the results of my test. I fully expected to hear that I passed with flying colors, yada yada yada. I've never once failed those sorts of tests. I have great health, never had problems. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I've EVER failed a test period! So, when she said that my blood sugar was "elevated" I was beyond surprised. I needed to come in and take a 3 1/2 hour glucose test.

I went in the next day at 8 am, drank an even nastier drink (WAY more concentrated), thought I was going to throw up, got stuck about 8 times in my arms over the period of 3 1/2 hours and read, listened to my ipod, etc. while waiting this whole time. It was pretty brutal...Nothing to eat since 7 pm the night before, nasty orange syrup stuck in my throat and then having the smallest veins ever doesn't help when they have to stick you multiple times to even hit them. Not fun. Oh and need I mention I had massive bruises on my arms this whole week? Very attractive.

But I had to remind myself that this was for my health, the health of my baby and that I really have NO REASON WHATSOEVER to complain considering what other pregnant women go through that I have never experienced. Through both of my pregnancies I have thrown up ONCE. One time. No complaints here.

Gestational (pregnancy) diabetes is very common, yet I (initially) sort of freaked myself out and failed to turn to the Lord first. I wanted to research it on my own and see if it was something I could handle. I was very nervous for the baby. Some websites I read said that it could cause heart defects in babies and abnormalities. I was grieved, sad, upset. I was blaming myself.

After worrying my stomach into knots, Allen and I talked, prayed and just asked the Lord what He was trying to teach us through this and specifically asked that this test come back with no signs of high blood sugar AT ALL. After that and just entrusting the whole situation to the Lord, as I should have done from the beginning, I felt much more at peace. Whether or not I had it my way, I was at peace with whatever the Lord's plan was.

We asked our HOPE group to pray for good test results and had some other people praying for us too.

Last Saturday I was sitting on our front porch swing, just thinking, praying, meditating and I felt like the Lord spoke a solid word to me that the test would come back clear. That I had nothing to worry about. Suddenly I felt completely sure that the phone call I would receive from my doctor would give me that exact verdict.

On Wednesday we found out that out of the 6 tests taken the week before ALL SIX were under where they needed to be.

My blood sugar was LOW! I passed! PRAISE GOD!

I am so thankful that He heard our prayers and answered! PRAISE HIM and thank you for all who prayed. I hope you are as blessed by this as we are!

I may not have initially reacted as I should have to the trial I faced, but the Lord certainly used it to show me how I should respond in the future and deepened my faith and trust in Him through all this.

He was gracious to show me Himself despite myself.

As I am going through the Experiencing God study at church right now I started thinking about the many ways I experienced Him this week. Here goes:

My Hope: "guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long." Psalm 25:5

My Confidence: "For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth." Psalm 71:5

Him who is able to do more than all we ask or imagine: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" Ephesians 3:20

The Author and Perfecter of my faith: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

I just had to share because I want this to be a place of transparency and above all I want to give God the glory for this and for everything He does in our lives.