I have been blessed with a lot of terrific things this year but if I had to pin down one it would be a lesson that I have finally learned. I don't know who actually said the following quote, but someone wiser than me said:
Earlier this year we had a couple of those sneak-up-on-you expenses. You know, the ones that come up suddenly (or if you know about them- they come up all at once as a group) and essentially wipe our your savings? Well, they visited us. We were okay. We weren't to the point of struggling by any stretch of the imagination but the money I had saved for KNOWN big upcoming expenses was gone and it was feeling a little uncomfortable. Now- like many I pray for a lottery win more often than I should, but I wasn't to the point that I was praying to be lifted out of that situation just yet. Then I got the news that my Rheumatoid Factor had skyrocketed. I won't bore you with the details about it again but if you haven't read the post you can find it here.
As I mentioned there, Seracare arranged for me to go to Eastern Tennessee to donate plasma for their study clients. I have to admit the initial draw was that maybe the donation will help us find answers but the money involved definitely was the deciding factor. It was enough to cushion us for those expenses that were coming so whether I had to go alone or if hubby could take the time off so that he and the pups could come with me- I would take the offer and make the 6 hour trip. Well, Jim did get that Friday (and Saturday) off so we packed up the dogs and headed out. This sounds like the answer to a prayer doesn't it? Ironically, that's not it.
We went up and I did my donation on Friday night. Things were just smooth. While we were stuck in traffic behind a bad accident just before construction began (which eventually put us back 2 hours) we got a call pushing my appointment later in the evening relieving that stress before it had a chance to get going. We arrived at the hotel to find that they had put us in a suite- and that the company was paying the "dog fee". The donation itself was relatively painless and the center had Netflix ready to go in each of the private donation rooms. The phlebotomist was so very nice that he took any nerves away. We had all of Saturday to just relax and do whatever we wanted. We ended up getting Dunkin Donuts bagels (YAY!- can't get those in my area) and coffee to have breakfast in the room and then taking the dogs to a local park for a good long walk. We picked up lunch at the hotel restaurant and then napped before watching movies. We had a lovely dinner Saturday night and then were able to sleep in on Sunday morning before I had to be at the center for round 2. As we were not in a hurry, while I was doing my thing, Jim packed up the car, gave the dogs their Dramamine and then picked me up. From there we took back roads home so we could see parts of Tennessee and Kentucky that we might not have seen otherwise. When I got back home I was so relaxed that I dropped off early and got a good night's sleep.
When I woke up that Monday morning we both agreed that "Wow, that was a terrific weekend." That little mini-vacation that we didn't realized that we needed and that we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise truly rejuvenated both of us. We talked, we laughed, we watched movies, we read, we hung out and just enjoyed our little family in ways that you just can't when work is pressing and there are a million things to do at home. Despite the toll that dual plasma donations followed by my weekly Orencia injection takes on the body, I felt more rested mentally and physically than I had in a long time.
That's the prayer I didn't know that I had- and believe me, I was thankful for the answer and to have learned that lesson in the process.
Sometimes God answers prayers we didn't even know we had.
Earlier this year we had a couple of those sneak-up-on-you expenses. You know, the ones that come up suddenly (or if you know about them- they come up all at once as a group) and essentially wipe our your savings? Well, they visited us. We were okay. We weren't to the point of struggling by any stretch of the imagination but the money I had saved for KNOWN big upcoming expenses was gone and it was feeling a little uncomfortable. Now- like many I pray for a lottery win more often than I should, but I wasn't to the point that I was praying to be lifted out of that situation just yet. Then I got the news that my Rheumatoid Factor had skyrocketed. I won't bore you with the details about it again but if you haven't read the post you can find it here.
As I mentioned there, Seracare arranged for me to go to Eastern Tennessee to donate plasma for their study clients. I have to admit the initial draw was that maybe the donation will help us find answers but the money involved definitely was the deciding factor. It was enough to cushion us for those expenses that were coming so whether I had to go alone or if hubby could take the time off so that he and the pups could come with me- I would take the offer and make the 6 hour trip. Well, Jim did get that Friday (and Saturday) off so we packed up the dogs and headed out. This sounds like the answer to a prayer doesn't it? Ironically, that's not it.
We went up and I did my donation on Friday night. Things were just smooth. While we were stuck in traffic behind a bad accident just before construction began (which eventually put us back 2 hours) we got a call pushing my appointment later in the evening relieving that stress before it had a chance to get going. We arrived at the hotel to find that they had put us in a suite- and that the company was paying the "dog fee". The donation itself was relatively painless and the center had Netflix ready to go in each of the private donation rooms. The phlebotomist was so very nice that he took any nerves away. We had all of Saturday to just relax and do whatever we wanted. We ended up getting Dunkin Donuts bagels (YAY!- can't get those in my area) and coffee to have breakfast in the room and then taking the dogs to a local park for a good long walk. We picked up lunch at the hotel restaurant and then napped before watching movies. We had a lovely dinner Saturday night and then were able to sleep in on Sunday morning before I had to be at the center for round 2. As we were not in a hurry, while I was doing my thing, Jim packed up the car, gave the dogs their Dramamine and then picked me up. From there we took back roads home so we could see parts of Tennessee and Kentucky that we might not have seen otherwise. When I got back home I was so relaxed that I dropped off early and got a good night's sleep.
When I woke up that Monday morning we both agreed that "Wow, that was a terrific weekend." That little mini-vacation that we didn't realized that we needed and that we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise truly rejuvenated both of us. We talked, we laughed, we watched movies, we read, we hung out and just enjoyed our little family in ways that you just can't when work is pressing and there are a million things to do at home. Despite the toll that dual plasma donations followed by my weekly Orencia injection takes on the body, I felt more rested mentally and physically than I had in a long time.
That's the prayer I didn't know that I had- and believe me, I was thankful for the answer and to have learned that lesson in the process.
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