>Last Friday, I’d decided I couldn’t wait the additional 3 weeks the pain management doc wanted me to wait before referring me to a surgeon. I was in continuing great pain. So I got up my courage in the Lord, and left a message last Friday even though the doctor’s office was closed.

If you know me, you can guess how much God was empowering me to speak up and make that call. Especially since I’m “Miss-Just-do-what-they-say-and-don’t make waves.” God inspired me to act. (Thanks also to my friend, Kat, who I’d been talking to last week and encouraged me to take action.)

I really didn’t have much hope that I’d hear from them Monday because they are horrible about returning phone calls. At about 8:30 Monday morning, in response to my message from Friday, the scheduler called to say she had a cancellation that afternoon. Could I come in? I felt like I had a huge kiss from God. A cancellation at the last minute doesn’t happen often because people have to wait 3 or more weeks to get into this doctor.

But I was still afraid the doctor would say he couldn’t refer me until longer. But no problem; he treated it like it was a no-brainer. I was ready to have to fight for it. Larry was in the room and maybe that helped. Why on earth at my 3rd cortisone shot he had originally told me he couldn’t refer me because the cortisone would have to get out of my system before I could correctly be assessed—I’ll never know. I’d begged him to make it earlier. But now, no problem to get a referral. A little frustrating.

Well, I was really so grateful. Besides my hope in the Lord, I have hope for relief. I trust it’s God will for me to get relief through surgery. No guarantees, I know, but at least there’s forward action.

As I turned to Scripture and the Psalms to put to words my gratitude to the Lord, I found Psalm 29:

Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in holy array.
3The voice of the LORD is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The LORD is over many waters.
4The voice of the LORD is powerful,
The voice of the LORD is majestic.

I want to ascribe to the Lord His power and strength in being in charge and giving me grace and mercy at a needed time. Please pray that I can get an appointment at the surgeon’s office as soon as possible.