Hey Friends –

When was the last time you found yourself panicked, confused, and unsure of what to do?

For me, it was last Friday night. I found myself faced with a huge problem (and it was growing bigger by the moment!)

Some brief history: Remember last Thursday when I shared I was “off to pull weeds” in my overgrown garden? What I didn’t mention is that I’m highly allergic to many wildflowers, weeds, and such. In fact, once when I was in high school, I encountered poison ivy and had a crazy reaction. My face swelled up 4x’s it’s normal size, and my eyes completely closed shut. It was horrible and terrifying and traumatic. I spent 2 weeks isolated in our basement until my body returned back to normal.

You would thing I have learned my lesson, right?

But when I went to work in our flower garden landscaping nightmare last Thursday, did I wear gloves?

Um, no.  

My lovely rash

Friday afternoon, I began to itch all over. My face began to break out, and I had fiery red splotches shooting all down my neck.

I should mention I was scheduled to share my message, “Laughter, Lice & Lemonade” at a Mother/Daughter brunch early on Saturday morning.

Yikes! Help! What to do?

A. Do I panic and notify the Coordinator and let her know to find a replacement?

B. Should I call some of my gifted speaker friends in the area and see if they can fill in for me?

C. Do I plan to go anyway, regardless of the rash? One friend suggested calling my message, “Laugher, Lice, Lemonade & Lotion”.  It would be memorable, right?!

D. Should I ask for prayer and watch God work through the prayers of many?

I selected D. I placed a plea on Facebook, and before long the encouragement came rolling in, and serious prayers were going Up. Thank You, God!

Prayer Support

God filled me with such peace and hope, and I went to bed confident that the results of Saturday morning (and my itchy allergic reaction) were in His hands.

I’ll be honest – I was a bit nervous to look in the mirror Saturday morning. I gently caressed my face to determine if the swelling had increased, and slowly opened my eyes to see what I would be dealing with.

Saturday morning self portrait

Friends, I’m thrilled to share that Saturday morning I was nearly back to normal.

To my knowledge, no one could really tell what my face and body had looked like, only hours earlier.

I was not itchy, blotchy, or irritable (whew, right?!).

It was as if Friday had never even happened. Thank You, God! Thank you, praying friends!

How was the event? Amazing! What a warm, inviting, loving group. The women laughed. They cried. I talked about embracing the “sour moments of life”, and I was moved by the heart-touching stories that many of the women stayed to share with me after my message.

I’m so thankful for the precious time I shared with the women from Friendship Country Chapel, and beyond grateful that I wasn’t distracted by an irritating rash, but could focus fully on the beautiful women at this springtime brunch.

Sweet friends, are you in a place this week where you are not sure what to do?

Maybe you’re not faced with a rash down your neck, but can relate to the pressure of anxiety, confusion, stressful life situations and/or fear of the unknown.

May I remind you that you are not alone.

• God sees.
• God hears.
• God knows.
• God cares.
• God loves.

What do we do when we don’t know what to do?

Fix our eyes and our pleas on the One Who is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine, fill our hearts and minds with Truth, and reach out to family and friends who can be voices of hope, Truth and encouragement in the midst of confusion and pain.

Sweet friend, how can we pray for you?

We may not know what the future holds, but we know the One who holds the future – and He is good, loving, faithful, and True. 

Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. May God sprinkle your path with encouragement, and remind you that you are loved!

P.S. I’m linking up with Jen at Finding Heaven and the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood today. Be sure to check out these amazing women. You’ll be blessed indeed!

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