Pre-trip incidentals…

I like to refer to them as character building moments:

Dad got stung by wasps on Wednesday. He is allergic – like EPI-PEN allergic. He calmly texts me, “I got stung by 2 or 3 wasps building a nest that I hadn’t noticed. I smashed their nest off with a broom before I came to the house and put triple antibiotic ointment on the red places.” I drive over to his house and take a look. Initially the spots seem okay. I start him on the “soak it with epsom salt,” take 2 benadryl before bed, and 1 clariton in the morning regimen. On Friday, his arm is twice as big as the day before and redness is moving up his arm. Praise the Lord, we were able to get in to see his primary physician before noon (they close at noon on Friday’s). We leave the clinic with a steroid pack, prescription for antibiotics – in case the redness worsens, and an updated prescription for an EPI-PEN. Thankfully, today Dad’s arm is MUCH better. Silver lining…we tell Dad’s primary physician about our trip to the Philippines and he writes us a script for a daily preventive for Malaria for the 4 of us.

TS, the mom of the other family going with us, broke her toe on Tuesday. Doctor’s orders: walking boot, no running, and minimal walking for 4-6 weeks. Hmmmmm, how is that going to work? She is actually not wearing her shoe because it started to aggravate her heel, so she got some heel lifts / cushions for her shoes and seems to be doing okay now.

My husband’s and my heel have been having empathy pains…no real source, just spontaneous discomfort. We were given some stretching exercises for plantar fasciitis. These have been quite helpful for me. My husband’s heel is still quite bothersome.

The family traveling with us lost electricity the morning of our flight out and had to drive into town to print off their boarding passes.

Irregardless of these incidentals… these inconveniences… usually things that we have no control over, we do have the opportunity to control our minds / our perspectives about these occurrences. When these things occur, I am trying to rest in the promises of Jesus. Only with the help of His Holy Spirit can I do so. I find it humbling that He is so patient with me as a hobble along, and I pray that with each incidental that I grow and mature a little more to reflect the fruits of His Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.