Priorities: Putting First Things First

It’s been quite a summer!  I had big plans of all I wanted to accomplish during our few months off from homeschooling.  And big plans of all the fun we were going to have as a family.  What I hadn’t planned on, was getting sick.  It started as just a little cough, but it just wouldn’t go away.  I didn’t have any other symptoms at all, just an annoying, nagging little cough, that gradually grew into an annoying, nagging bigger cough.  I ignored it as long as I could – after all, I don’t “get sick”!  I’ve barely had more than a sniffle the past couple of years!  I finally broke down and went to the doctor but they couldn’t figure out the cause.  That just started a long cycle of testing and antibiotics that didn’t really do anything.  To make a long story short, it was finally determined that I had pertussis (whooping cough) and I actually ended up in the hospital for 4 days with severe upper abdominal pain, which we later found was caused from my coughing pulling one of my ribs slightly loose!  I was frustrated!  I had summer plans, I have kids and a husband who need me at home, I have work to do…but I had to take a break from pretty much everything!  But during this down time I was able to really stop and reflect on my priorities.  Over the past few months, I’d let things slip here and there and basically, my priorities were all out of whack!  I was suddenly forced to slow down and, now that I look back, it was EXACTLY what I needed.  I NEEDED to slow down and listen to God’s ‘still small voice’.  I NEEDED to take a good hard look at the needs of my family.  I NEEDED to re-prioritize pretty much my whole life.  This past month has been amazing as I’ve worked to put first things first again and focus on the important things in life.  So while I hated coughing up a lung for over a month and wasn’t too crazy about staying in bed and being hospitalized, I am thankful!  Thankful for the down time to rest and recuperate; thankful for the friends and family who pitched in to help me out during a tough time; and yes, even thankful fore being forced to slow down and refocus my priorities.  God always know just what I need, when I need it.