hierarchy

My little Samuel is sick again.  He's been battling fevers every couple weeks for the last several months.  Finally, yesterday, when he got a fever we decided to take him to the doctor on the first day of the fever.  When I called, they asked for his symptoms and I said "Fever" -- and the nurse was kind of flabbergasted that I would want to have her work him in on a Friday afternoon.  That was until I told her that he's been getting fevers every three weeks for almost six months.  She then scheduled an appointment for him for less than two hours later.

As I was driving the fifteen minutes to the pediatrician's my heart was heavy.  I couldn't understand why he was sick -- again.  I just knew something was off and that they needed to heed my worry.  I thought about who to call to talk to -- to hash this out, to ask for courage, to ask for prayers.  As I picked up my cell phone -- I stopped.

I needed to pray.

Not call others.  I had these cares and needs and yet, I wasn't coming to the Lord first.  I was looking to my friends -- blessings -- but not the Healer, my Savior, first.  So as I drove down the interstate I prayed (with my eyes open, of course) and prayed and prayed.  I prayed exactly what I would have talked about with my friends.  I prayed for peace, and for wisdom.  And I also prayed that the doctor would see the urgency and take me seriously and run the appropriate tests.

How often do I pick up the phone before I pray?  Sadly, it's way too often.  I know deep down that the Lord is first, and yet, I seek Him second.  When I pulled into the clinic I felt so calm, so assured, and so at peace.  I knew that this was not from me, but from my Father -- from me relinquishing my fears and anxieties to Him.

Once again, I was reminded -- that prayer comes first.  Always.

*******

As far as Samuel -- I found out that he has a strep infection.  The doctor and I are thinking that he's probably had this infection for several months, and that it's flared up every couple of weeks -- and even caused the croup that he's been battling as well.  I remember mentioning to the doctor that I was worried Samuel had streps months ago.  He had a rash -- just like my Brennan did when he dealt with strep.  They told me that he was too young, but ran a rapid strep.  It was negative, but I think it was negative because it was the 4th day of the sickness.  This was in May. Since then Samuel has dealt with fevers and severe lethargy every three weeks.

So this time, on Friday, the rapid strep was almost instantly positive.  I feel relieved they found it.  When my Hannah was almost 8 years old she was in the hospital for 4days with a strep infection that we didn't catch.  The doctor is having us watch him very closely because she's concerned that the strep isn't isolated simply to his throat.

I'm praying the antibiotics work.  Brennan is extremely allergic to penicillin so I'm always nervous the first time I give any of my little ones anything with penicillin.  So far, so good -- no reaction.  However, Samuel is still running a fever -- 102 -- and he's had 3 doses of the antibiotic.  I'm praying that this antibiotic wipes out that nasty strep from his system.  And that it never ever ever ever comes back.  :)

I'd love some prayers for that sweet babe of mine.