By Maria I. Morgan
It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. An unusual shape on an x-ray prompted me to head to my gynecologist. Sure enough, following an ultrasound, it was confirmed: I had two large fibroid tumors – one directly behind the other. Because of the size of the fibroids, laparoscopic surgery was out of the question. I was scheduled for an abdominal hysterectomy.
The information from my doctor and every other article I read listed the recovery time as eight weeks. I was definitely not looking forward to so much down time. My surgery was scheduled for a Wednesday with an expected release date of Friday. Although my husband would be with me through the surgery and the weekend, he had an important conference he had to attend the following week. I wasn’t sure how I would manage to take care of our pets or myself so soon after major surgery.
Riley to the rescue. Although our daughter, Riley, and her husband live 4 hours away from us, as soon as she found out about the operation, she offered to come and help. Because she had limited time off, I knew it was a sacrifice for her. This was just the beginning of several small acts of kindness that were big reflections of God’s love.
Surgery went really well and I was taken to my room by mid-afternoon. That’s when the adorable bouquet arrived: Doggy Houser, M. D. – beautiful white carnations in the shape of a puppy complete with stethoscope and doctor’s bag. And the miniature floral version looked just like our grand-dog, Ollie.
Another act of kindness from our daughter and son-in-law.
Over the days and weeks that followed, the acts of kindness continued like ripples on water. One of our neighbors took care of our pets while I was in the hospital. My husband and daughter cleaned the house for me and ran to the grocery store countless times to make sure I had everything I needed. Some sweet friends from church made meals ensuring we wouldn’t go hungry. And one friend sent cards of encouragement every week – for eight weeks. Just to let me know she was thinking about and praying for me. Wow!
Such a great reminder of what it looks like to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It’s fitting to echo the words of the apostle Paul, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” (Philippians 1:3, KJV)
Each act of kindness – such a beautiful reflection of God’s love.
Maria I. Morgan is an inspirational writer and speaker. She is the award-winning author of Louie’s BIG day! Regardless of the age of her audience, her goal is the same: to share God’s truths and make an eternal difference.
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*The 3rd book in the Louie the Lawnmower series, “Louie to the Rescue – The Big Dig,” will be releasing on Amazon soon!
Louie and the gang are fired up about the neighborhood yard competition. But when a sarcastic shovel arrives on the scene, hurtful words cause big problems. Will the newcomer succeed in intimidating Louie and his friends? Or will her plan backfire? Join Louie and the others and discover whose words win.
Enter to win: leave a comment below listing a character quality you’d like to see featured in a future Louie book, along with your email address, and you’ll be entered in a random drawing to receive a copy of “Louie to the Rescue – The Big Dig.” (Open to U.S. residents only. Contest will run through Monday, November 6th. Winner will be contacted via email.)
Other books in the Louie the Lawnmower series:
