Ten days ago I wrote a blog post and entered into a number of conversations wherein I expressed the great freedom, healing, and joy God has given me in this present season.  I did so after God, in his Word and through others, repeatedly encouraged me to do so.  After all, I exist to bring him glory!

Six days ago I got malaria, five days ago I was hospitalized for dehydration, three days ago I got my very first migraine, two days ago the compound ran out of water.

My mother thinks I’ve painted a target on my back.  I told her I’m not as easy a target as I used to be.

Six days ago my sweet Muslim neighbor came by to rub my throbbing head with cooling oil to lessen the heat of the fever and throb of the headache.  Five days ago my coworkers dropped their whole day to take me to the hospital where an American team was volunteering and where I got fluids immediately.  Three days ago I found out that the US director of our organization sometimes gets migraines when he’s here, so he’s left a bottle of Excedrin on site. And this morning I luxuriated in a drizzle shower that was only warm while I washed out my hair and blissfully cool on my body in this Kenyan dry season of “oh-my-word-I’m-just-sitting-here-sweating”.

God is good when it’s easy and he’s good when it’s hard.

Here’s what I have over the Old Testament figure of so much sorrow and pain…

I know how the story ends.

It ends in victory, healing, joy, and abundance.

Bring it on.