Just Fine

So, last night, Gavin had yet another trip to the ER. Asthma, no, not this time. His hip. Apparently, when he was attending "Bring a Friend Night" at Little Gym, he fell and couldn't walk more than two steps without falling down. Shawn brought him home and waited it out for two hours and when he still couldn't walk, decided it's best to go in. Rightly so. (Can I just make a small mention here, that when you pull up to the ER and your child gets excited to see the Nemo fish, you know you have been there one too many times). Anyway...I was at church, so I didn't get the news until 3 hours later that everything was fine. A strained hip, but he'll be "Just fine".

Here is what I struggle with. Of course I don't want to have my child with a broken, sprained or hurt leg. It made me so sad I wasn't there to comfort him and of course I went into mom mode on the phone with Shawn..."Is he still crying? Should I come? How does he limp? What do you mean falls...is that like crumples to the ground, or just kinda collpases?" However, when I heard he is "just fine", my first thought was...we just spent how much to find out nothing is wrong? We don't even get a free dose of tylonol? My second thought...Wow! I can't believe I just thought that, praise God nothing is wrong and Lord help me!

Between Brayden and Gavin this month we have paid ridiculous amounts in co-pays, met all our deductables and will have a disturbing amount of bills headed our way. Here's the kicker...they are healthy kids. And as I considered my embarrassing reaction to finding out Gavin was "just fine" (although I still think they could have at least given the kid some tylonol) I also thought about how fortunate I am that my money was spent to find that out! My kids are okay and I can sleep at night. They will get up and play tomorrow, they will see their friends, eat their lunch, take their nap, play with their trains and quite possibley have a melt down or two in between. I know this, because they are just fine. And I am grateful.

It was a good lesson to learn. An expensive lesson? Yes. Do I want to learn it again? No. However, I have a feeling with these two, I will. But if that is what it takes to help me realize the amount of goodness God has brought into my life then so be it. Bring on the ER, bring on the nemo fish. I'll take them anyday...as long as I can take my kids home and they are "just fine."