Geez! Have you ever had one of those days when you were ready to throw in the towel? Wave the white flag? Raise your hands in surrender? I did. Last week, I was beyond frustrated and exasperated. It was one of those moments where I felt like I did all I could do, and it wasn't good enough. I released silent tears and strepitous screams as I made phone calls after phone calls trying to make an appointment for my son. Each person on the other end of the line provided no solutions except disclosing it was the other party's responsibility and not theirs. The doctor's office, the radiology clinic, and the insurance office gave me the runaround, leaving me exhausted without getting out of my chair.
A little background, our almost high school graduate attended his senior prom. His friend group had every detail covered, making the whole process seamless. After photos with family and friends, catered dinner at a friend's house, and a prom dance at the hotel, they visited an after-prom party at the school. They had games, moon bounces, obstacle courses, food, music, and prizes. What could go wrong? Never in a million years did I think our son would return after the second school dance he attended in four years with a dislocated shoulder. Yes, you read that correctly. Our son dislocated his shoulder, racing his friend through an obstacle course. Even though he was proud that he still won after he popped his shoulder back in, I did not celebrate this victory. After he spilled the details, I immediately reached out to trusted family and friends for their prayers. We didn't know what to expect but hoped for the best. A visit to the ER and x-rays gave us confidence our son's shoulder would be fine with no long-term damages. We declared God's healing hands to heal our collegiate volleyball-playing son.
To confirm the prognosis, we visited an orthopedist. The shoulder specialist was out of the office because of a rescheduled surgery, but his partner was able to assist. At first, I was grateful for his help, but I actually wished he didn't. He came in and did about a five-second shoulder check and quickly suggested surgery. I left speechless, discouraged, and upset.
For the rest of the day, I attempted to make the subsequent appointments. I disagreed with the orthopedist, but I also had to keep the possibility on the table. He's the doctor; he's seen dozens of patients like this, he would know. I provided an update to our inner circle of prayer warriors.
The more hopeless I felt the more they encouraged me. They were keenly aware of what I needed without sharing it with them. One person was sending me advice on what to do. Another person just let me vent. Someone else was willing to walk through the insurance steps with me. A few people just prayed. Even though I was desperate for solutions and didn't have any, my hope grew regardless.
It's hard to have confidence in a situation you have no control over, but you can find peace easily when you have the right kind of people surrounding you. I'm so grateful for the people in my life who release their peace for me to grab hold of when I don't have enough of my own.
"Therefore encourage and comfort one another and build up one another, just as you are doing." ~1 Thessalonians 5:11 (AMP)
"If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up."
~Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)
**Thankfully, we finally obtained the proper approvals the following day. My son's shoulder feels 100% now. We believe the Great Physician already healed our son. Thank you, Jesus! We will confirm the diagnosis with the new specialists and MRI images this week.
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