Prescription for Healing

Last night I took Boo to the ER. We have all had some kind of crummy illness this week, mostly me, but I’m better now, thank you for your prayers. Boo woke up about 10 pm after everyone else was in bed and sleeping soundly.

I had finished my reading and my tea and was heading off to bed. He was crying and when I lifted him out of his crib he said, “Ow, ow,” and started rubbing his right ear. Ok, no brainer, ear infection. He had been rubbing the left one the day before. I called my dear friend Ang and she came right away to sit with the other children.

We arrived at 2300 at the ER, got triaged and checked in. We sat and waited; watched a little Rodeo and waited; we watched the Washington Huskies fight a good fight against the Golden Bears and we waited. Then we slept, sitting up in a rather squeaky chair and finally at 0330 we were called back into a room.

Nearly 30 minutes later a doc, of sorts, came in and asked why we were here. I introduced my baby and said, “He has an ear infection.” He eyed me rather suspiciously as if to say, I’m the Doctor here, I’ll tell you what he has.

First ear checked, “Oh, Mommy knows best, Buddy.” He replied with surprise. “Yes, I have six children, I’ve been through this before.” I replied. We talked about treatment, was he allergic to anything, ever taken antibiotics before? No, he never has, he shouldn’t have built up immunity to anything. Thirty minutes later at 0430 we were out the door an on our way home.

While I knew what the problem was, and I knew what Boo needed to correct it, I couldn’t do anything about the treatment on my own. I needed that Doctor’s help. He held the keys to Boo’s treatment, the prescription for healing.

How often in our lives do we think we know what is the right thing? We storm ahead, thinking, “Mommy knows best!”

Our ancient Biblical sister Sarah did, she thought that she could take matters into her own hands and provide her handmaid to Abraham so he could have an heir. What if Esther hadn’t gone along with God’s plan for her life? Where would the Hebrew nation have been? What if Mary had told the Angel she wasn’t going through with that ridiculous plan of her having a baby, she wasn’t married, and Joseph could have had her stoned?

While I’m sure that God can conduct His plan without us, what good things are we missing when we don’t get His prescription, if we don’t follow through and digest the medicine that He has ordained for us?

Are you taking matters into your own hands? Do you think you know the best way to conduct the affairs of your heart?

I often do, and when it doesn’t turn out right, and I fumble and make a mess of things, God gently brings me back and says, “Now, child, let me handle it. I never asked you to do this on your own. I said I would be there to offer the prescription you need.” And I come humbly and offer the thing back to Him and what do you know? His treatment works.