Vigilance

A big group of my friends and I just got back from a Living Proof Live event in Kansas City. Last year we went to the one in Little Rock and I wrote about it, so I'm hoping to gather my thoughts together and write about this trip...soon. ("Soon" on my blog is a relative term, I'm sure you realize.) I have about ten minutes before going to pick up the sweet kiddos at Mother's Day Out at our church. I usually take a LOT longer than ten minutes to write a post, so this is an experiment to see if I can do this quickly.

Part of the group stayed an extra night and returned home yesterday. My mind is working on all we learned and the ton of questions I have from the experience when we decide as a family to go eat out at Jason's Deli. It's quite a new experience for Tyler and I to feel it's fun to take the kids out to dinner, but we are pretty much there. Hallelujah. (Anyone with a 2 1/2 year old boy knows what I mean by this.) It was a good dinner and I was happy that Thomas ate well and even Caroline ate some tomatoes and croutons from my salad along with her organic hot dog. Okay, it wasn't organic, but Jason's Deli tries hard to be healthy so I threw that in there for their sake.

We were on our way home when she said her tongue was itchy. (FYI: Caroline is allergic to tree nuts-cashews, almonds etc.)
Alarms go off in my head, because the last time she said she was itchy it turned out to be a severe allergic reaction. We get home about ten minutes later and she is having a reaction. Her whole body is turning red and small hives are appearing. My insides start to panic, but I remember what her allergist said--Benadryl is good, but if her breathing changes go for the Epi pen. Dang--what to do?? Tyler and I bribed her to take a dose of benadryl (she hates the taste) and then put her in the bathtub to help with her itchiness, I'm still wondering if I should jab her leg with the pen...She gets out and throws up a lot. During her second bath she starts to appear and act more "normal" so I think that's when I started breathing again. I watch her like a hawk for a couple of hours and finally put her into bed late last night. She's tired, but happy at her school today.

Why tell all that on the blog? I'm not sure. I think it's because God is telling me to be vigilant.

Vigilant in protecting the kids to the best of my ability, vigilant in prayer for them and my family, vigilant in seeking God in every moment and action.

I'm sure for some people, I was one of them not that long ago, it seems strange or tiresome to relate every single thing that happens in life back to God, but it isn't strange for me anymore. I have completely realigned my thinking and prayer life to recognize every moment is part of God's plan. And His plan is to prosper us. Not necessarily monetarily or giving us all we think we want, but to refine us into the people He wants us to be.

I'm still struggling to persevere, to not grow weary, to use God's strength and not my own. Please pray for me and all of the others in your life needing encouragement today. (By the way, that's everyone in case you are wondering who needs encouragement...)

Love you all.
ps I went back to Jason's Deli today and saw that there were slivered almonds pretty close to the croutons so someone may have used the tongs for both. No more salad bars for this family. Pps I still love Jason's Deli and thank them for teaching me to be more vigilant in the fight/awareness of food allergens.