"Don't worry, you're not pregnant"

I knew when I went to bed Thursday night that Friday would be a crazy day--it was the last day of work before payroll taxes were due for our clients, among other things. But I had no idea just HOW crazy this day would be.

I had a doctor's appointment scheduled first thing yesterday morning. I've been having a sharp pain come and go on the lower right side of my abdomen for months. I finally caved and went to the doctor (I HATE going to the doctor) a few days before Christmas. My conversation with the doctor had gone something like this:

     Can you explain the pain?
          It hurts.
     Can you give me a number from 1-10?
          It varies.
     Is it constant?
          Sometimes.
     Is it a dull, throbbing pain or a sharp, shooting one?
          Both.

Having a nurse for a mom, I'm usually the ideal patient. I know all the questions before they ask them and I have my answers ready. This pain just couldn't be described...it was like one big contradiction. Consequently, they weren't able to identify the cause of my pain and sent me home with a pat on the back and some ibuprofen.

Now two weeks later I was back with the same complaints. They ordered a pelvic ultrasound. No, not the kind they just roll across your belly. The exam room was tiny so they asked Justin to wait in the lobby. A few minutes later I was seeing my uterus and then...a giant black thing.

(giant black thing...the small black thing on top is the probe)

     WHAT IS THAT?!?
          Don't worry, you're not pregnant.
          It's just a cyst.

Just a cyst? This thing is HUGE. It measures 6.5 cm, nearly the exact size of a tennis ball. I couldn't stop crying. Mainly because I finally knew I wasn't crazy. I had been feeling this pain for months but when all you can say is "my stomach hurts" you just sound like a weenie who complains a lot. It was almost a relief to know that there was an actual cause for this pain. But despite my relief, I was also pretty scared. 

Turns out, ovarian cysts are fairly common. Normally they stay very tiny and go away on their own, mine just happens to have been growing for the last 6-7 months. They generally aren't dangerous but can cause a lot of pain depending on their size and location. In some cases they can be cancerous if they're solid, but mine is clear fluid which I'm told is a good thing. I was sent to a radiologist to have a second pelvic ultrasound and now I'm waiting for a consult with an OB/GYN to find out what happens next. There is a surgery that can be done to remove the cyst, but chances are mine will go away on it's own and I won't need surgery.

Needless to say, I never made it in to work and my day was just as crazy...probably more so after my phone was stolen at the doctor's office, but that's a whole other story. Did I mention yesterday was also our four-year anniversary? What a day!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...

...Hi, neighbor!

In case I haven't mentioned previously, I work for K & M Winslow. They're a small accounting company that just so happens to also manage the property and condos where I live (that's actually partly how I got my job--an awesome story I'll probably post eventually). Anyway, while I was at work today we got a call from the daughter of two other tenants from my building. Her elderly mom fell down and hit her head on New Year's Eve, landing her a stay in the emergency room. The mother finally made it home yesterday or today, but the daughter is staying here until her mom (who also takes care of her husband) is back on her feet. Okay, so..who cares?

Turns out, I do. Being the daughter of a mom diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and several other auto-immune diseases, I could automatically relate to this woman. I know what it's like to have to take care of a parent. A few nights ago my own mom fell down and wound up with a trip to the emergency room and a few stitches for a souvenir, so I also know how hard it is to be half a country away when one of your parents is hurt or ill. It's really hard to rely on other people to look after them. So...after I got home I took a sticky note with my contact information along with three roses from a bouquet Justin brought home this weekend and marched upstairs to their unit. I introduced myself to all three of them, shared my flowers, and visited with them briefly. I told them if there was anything I could do to help--getting groceries, picking up prescriptions, driving them to appointments--that I would love to help. And I meant it. More than anything I wanted their daughter to have peace of mind knowing that when she returned home to Florida, there was someone here who was willing and eager to help her family.

Even though introducing myself to these perfect strangers was a little out of my comfort zone, it was also very easy for my because I could relate to their situation. I HAVE walked a mile in those shoes. Not to mention the Bible says that we are to love each other just as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). But this command does not limit our love to "only those we can relate to or sympathize with". Actually, Matthew 5:43 says quite the opposite: "You have heard the law says, 'love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" And just in case anyone thinks they can get out of that one on a technicality, the Bible also says, "don't just pretend that you love others, really love them." (Romans 12:9)

Ouch. Those verses really made me ask myself if I am loving others the way God wants me to love others. If I'm going to be honest about it, the answer is no. I can't just pick and choose who to love. So I'm working on loving others they way God loves us...even the dog lady that yelled at me for building a snowman in the courtyard. But if it were easy to love everyone, God wouldn't need to remind us to do so! 

To hear the powerful story of one family who chose to share God's love with a stranger, watch Samuel's story here:

"...God was telling me to say PIE!"

Saturday afternoon I got an email from our church listserve explaining the unique format for the service on Sunday. In place of a sermon they were having an open mic session where anyone could share how God touched their heart in 2010. They offered five questions to guide the discussion: 

         

* How did God show up in your life this year?

* How did you grow this year?

* What are you thankful for?

* How did you experience Christian community?

* What adventure did God take you on?

When I read that you could also e-mail your story, I felt compelled to share. Little did I know that MY email would end up being read aloud by our pastor to the entire congregation to kick off the open mic session. I'm sure everyone around us knew we wrote it because Justin and I could NOT stop laughing!! Here is what I wrote (or what Michael read, anyway):

When I first read the suggested questions in this email I had to laugh a little. How can I briefly answer the question "how did God show up in my life this year", when God was in every single moment of our giant, crazy adventure of 2010? 

In January I was engaged and living at home with my parents in Houston, Texas. I was 21 and had just graduated from Texas A&M University. My fiance Justin, 22, was also living with his parents, 3 miles away, and wrapping up his last semester at the University of Houston.

In April we came to Norfolk to look for our first home together. We only had one weekend to find somewhere, with no time or money to make a return trip before our wedding and our 1500 mile move.

In May life really got crazy. Justin graduated from college. The same day he was commissioned as an officer in the Navy. One week later we were saying "I do" and off to our honeymoon, a one-week, much needed vacation in Mexico. Five days after we returned, we packed up our cars and a u-haul and moved 1500 miles away from everything we ever knew to start our new life together in a town where we knew no one.

On Halloween, we tried a new church. We had bounced around since we arrived in Norfolk in June, but nothing felt like the church we had grown up in. As soon as we entered this church, we knew it was different. The people were friendly and eager to help us find a place to get involved. There were Sunday School classes, and missions opportunities, and all the things we had been looking for. Something just felt like home here. And then Michael talked about pie. Being huge food enthusiasts, we took it as that final nudge from God that yes, we were home. Call us crazy but sometimes it's those little details that stand out. We joined a few Sundays later, and we couldn't wait to bring my in-laws along when they visited us at Thanksgiving. If you hadn't guessed, the church was Spring Branch.

Michael finished reading our story and half-yelled "and you all thought I was just going on and on about this delicious pie, but really...God was telling me to say PIE!!" Everyone was laughing. Justin and I took the opportunity to introduce ourselves to him after the service and I'm really glad we did. He's a great pastor and we're looking forward to getting to know him better.

So This is the New Year...

It's hard to believe 2010 is finally over...it was such a huge year for so many reasons! I wish I could share in better detail just how much God showered us with blessings this year, but I didn't bother to keep track of the details, just that it happened. That's why this year my resolution is to maintain this blog. I know it will be a year of challenge and growth for Justin and I with his first deployment looming over us, but I am positive that God will use that time to bring us closer and I would love to be able to share that experience with others. If you didn't catch our Christmas newsletter in my last post, here's a look at what 2010 held for us!