A Shot in the Back

A while back I asked you to pray for John when he received Nerve Root Injections in two nerves. Thank you for praying. The procedure went well, however, the results were not what we had hoped for. We were supposed to see relief within a couple days to a few weeks. As far as he can tell, he still hasn't seen any improvement. He did start physical therapy in the time since and continues to take a couple different pain killers to try and eliminate some of the pain. While he does have some days of relief, he isn't seeing an increased improvement. This Friday, the 20th, John will get another Epidural Steroid shot in his spinal canal. PLEASE pray for relief and encouragement for John. He is pretty discouraged about the whole situation.

I was listening to a Nancy Leigh Demoss radio show the other day and she was talking about trials in life and the one thing that really stuck with me was this quote, "Anything that makes me need God, is a blessing". I have to admit, it is downright difficult to see John's degenerative discs as a blessing, but in the end, if it draws us into a more intimate relationship with him, it IS a blessing. Then my mind went back to a conversation I had with John where he shared a song that had been an encouragement to him and guess what the name of the song was? Blessings! I pray that we can see all of this as a blessing, no matter how hard it is! Listen to it here or read the lyrics below.

Laura Story: Blessings

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise