If it's not one thing. . .

I'll confess now, this is going to be a vulnerable blog. And a little weird. Just trying to keep it real. . .

Looking at this picture, you're probably thinking, "What went wrong?" Indeed. We have written many times about the crazy spiritual warfare we have encountered since we arrived in Italy. One of the many ways we experience that is in the most random physical issues. For instance, the day after Thanksgiving this past November, my right knee suddenly swelled to twice its normal size. It was so painful I could hardly walk. No fall brough it on, no accident I could blame it on. I hadn't even done much walking in the days before. Totally random. I finally had to go to the doctor, and he was baffled. Five days on a super-powered anti-inflammatory seemed to do the trick, and it hasn't bothered me since.

For the past several months, our latest medical mystery has been Cody's growing arthritis problem. He's had arthritis in his thumbs for several years, and they are often quite swollen. It's now spreading to most of the joints in his hands. It has gotten so bad that in the morning he is unable to write with a pen or pour his coffee. It is debilitating to point of great discouragement. Knowing a lot of tests will have to be done to determine the problem, he is waiting until we are home for the summer to have it looked into further. He's only 32 for crying out loud!

And then yesterday, I woke up in pain every time I blinked. In the outside corner of my eye, something wacky is going on. This morning, it looks like this--swollen all around. It only hurts in that one spot, but boy doesn't that look attractive! I thought it might be a sty, but I'm not so sure. I don't even know who I would go see if it doesn't get better! Crazy as it sounds, I think I would go to the emergency room so that I could be referred to a opthamologist.

Thus, my title for today's blog. . . If it's not one thing, it's another. The hard thing (though a blessing, don't get me wrong!) is that none of these things are major ordeals. They are just really annoying inconveniences that can contribute to wearing us down. Never in our lives have we experienced such random, wacky physical challenges. If the Lord brings us to mind, would you mind praying over us? Pray for our whole family's physical protection. Pray especially for long-term relief for Cody's arthritis.

I told you, a weird blog today. Thanks for reading and for praying. Welcome to all the realities of our life overseas! We are choosing to praise God in the midst of it all.