"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring." ~Proverbs 27:1

It was Friday morning, and nothing this week had gone according to plan . . . absolutely NOTHING.  The latest "hitch" in the plans involved Sarah - she was scheduled to have her wisdom teeth removed the previous day, but she came down with a stomach virus, and had to reschedule.  I was in Houston to help her post-op, and instead, helped her deal with the sickies!  But she was feeling better, so I decided to go on home.

I left Houston about 8:30 a.m., with my GPS pointing me home.  As I drove north on I-45, I was mentally going through my list of what I would do once I got home, and for the remainder of the weekend.  Around Huntsville, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by my phone, and I smiled when I saw it was Caleb calling - phone calls with him are always fun!  "Hey, Bud - what's up?"  I said, expecting to hear his happy, familiar, "Heeeyyy!!" on the other end.  Instead, I was greeted with a son in distress.  He had woken up moments earlier to excruciating pain, which was obvious in his voice as he called me  to see what he should do.  I quickly pulled over, got a little more information from him, and told him to get to the ER immediately.  I then called Jeff to tell him what was going on, and re-routed my GPS to College Station.  It told me I was 56 minutes away.

I may or may not have driven the speed limit, and the next hour was filled with anxiety.  Caleb's roommate got him to the ER, and after doctors evaluated him, I received a text message telling me that they would confirm Caleb's diagnosis with an ultrasound, and then "take him immediately into surgery."  I may or may not have pushed the gas pedal a little closer to the floor at that point.  

I arrived at the hospital, and found Caleb much more relaxed and comfortable than when I had spoken with him on the phone, thanks to a heavy dose of Morphine.  Soon after I arrived, they took him to surgery, and I settled in at the surgical waiting room, still reeling from the sudden change in plans, as I began processing what was happening.  My thoughts were interrupted by one of Caleb's friends - he had heard about the emergency, and came to check on things.  He kindly sat with me, shooting the breeze, and helping to pass the time.  Others soon showed up as well, making the two hours in that waiting room go by much more quickly.  Jeff arrived just as the surgery was ending.  Everything went well, the surgery was successful, and after on overnight stay in the hospital, Caleb was able to go home.  He will miss a week of classes, and is dealing with post-op pain, but the worst is over.

Through these events, I was reminded of several things that I already knew, but there is value in reminders:

1. We never know what a day will bring.  James cautions us in James 4 about making plans, and reminds us that "You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow."  He instructs us that as we make our plans, we should do so with the attitude of "if the Lord wills..."  When I left Houston Friday morning with a head full of plans, I had no idea that I would be sitting in a hospital surgical waiting room a few hours later, praying for my son.  
2. Technology can be a blessing.  Without my cell phone and my GPS, Not only would I not have known about Caleb's problem, but I would not have been able to figure out how to get to him quickly.
3. Access to good health care should not be taken for granted.  From the moment Caleb arrived at the ER until he left the hospital, he was surrounded by professionals who knew what they were doing.  They provided him with the best care he could receive in a timely manner.
4. Being a part of God's family is priceless.  From the first moment of Caleb's distress, our needs were met by other Christians without hesitation.  Caleb's roommate got him to the ER, stayed with him, and kept us updated on what was happening until I could get there.  Caleb's ER doctor was a Christian from the congregation where Caleb worships, and his presence was comforting. Other Christians from the Twin City church - young and old alike - came by, called, and texted to express their desire to help.  Our brethren at home prayed for him (and us), and kept in touch to let us know that.  Others from Twin City opened their home to us so that Jeff and I would have a place to stay.  This weekend I saw John 13:34-35 in action, and I am once again so very thankful for our brethren - what a blessing.  
5. God's providence is at work in our lives.  Sarah's initial wisdom teeth extraction appointment led me to be in Houston.  Her stomach virus, which prompted cancellation, caused me to cut my Houston stay short and head home on Friday morning.  Because of those circumstances, I was less than an hour away from Caleb when his distress began.  If I had been at home, I would not have made it to College Station before they took him to surgery.  I'm thankful for those unusual events that put me in Huntsville at that moment in time.  
6. God's love is unfathomable.  Every mother knows the feelings I had on Friday.  There is no way to describe that, and no words can adequately express a mother's love for her child.  And to think that God loves Caleb more than I do is absolutely mind-blowing.  But He does!  And consider also that God loves all of us enough to sacrifice HIS Son for His creation who rebelled against Him - that boggles the mind.  Go read Romans 5.  God wants us to love as He loves, and these thoughts help me to see that I have a long way to go.

I have more plans today and for the week to come.  But I will have more of a James 4 and Proverbs 27 attitude and awareness as I go about my week than perhaps I did last week.  And I will try to keep that awareness in the weeks to come.  I hope you will, too.

Left: Caleb post-op, while high on pain killers :)  Right:  Thankful to have him at home.