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Friday, April 8, 2011

Praise the Lord...It's Back!!!

Good Afternoon, Readers!  I am so excited to write my blog today!  Many of you know I have been battling laryngitis...well, I suppose you call it battling...it lasted for 3 days short of 13 weeks!  Yes...that's right...I was unable to communicate in an audible voice for 88 l - o - n - g days!  I have waited until now to give the praise report of having my voice back because I was 'afraid' that it was temporary.  Look at me...who is the author of fear?  It certainly isn't my God!  What a fool I was to think that it was temporary.  God doesn't do things half-way and I should have known better.  

Anyway, I am so excited to be able to speak where I am heard again.  Being a Children's Pastor and not being able to preach is one of the hardest things I ever deal with.  I also answer the phones for my husband at our business.  In the 88 days that I could not speak, I cannot count the number of times a customer hung up on me because they couldn't hear me.  And if they could hear my barely-there voice, they would laugh at me because I was unable to speak.  It was quite frustrating as you can well imagine. 

How it happened...
On Saturday, April 2nd, I opened my mouth to tell my husband something and voilà, my voice was normal!  Now, throughtout the remainder of that day and on Sunday, my voice would come and go...be normal and then be like it had been for the previous 87 days...barely there.  By Monday, I had my normal voice completely.  That's how it usually goes when I lose my voice...it's there one day and gone the next.  However, it usually only lasts 8-12 weeks.  This time around, it surpassed the norm by 4 days.  I truly battled depression this time.  It is quite difficult to do the jobs I do and to have a family and not be able to communicate.  Anyone who has ever had laryngitis knows that. 

I posted on here several times about my laryngitis and many of you have been praying for me.  I so appreciate your prayers.  I know that God heard every one of them.  It is by His grace that I have my voice back.  Prayerfully, I won't have to go through this again.  I am praying that the healing is not just for this bout but for all future bouts with this affliction.  However, should I get laryngitis again and should it last 4 days or 4 months, I know that God is with me and will get me through the struggle.  The good news is that along about 11 weeks, I went to the doctor.  I was told nothing that I didn't already know...I have acid reflux, allergies and sinus issues.  However, the doctor did confirm that there are no other issues...no tumors, no spots, no growths...only irritation from the reflux, allergies and sinus issues.  That was truly good news because after 15 years of dealing with this EVERY year, I was beginning to wonder.  So, in an attempt to avoid future loss of voice, we followed the doctor's instructions to raise the head of our bed and I began to take an extra Prilosec OTC every day.  Prayerfully, these things will help to prevent the problem in the future.  I also realize that perhaps yearly laryngitis is my thorn in the flesh.  We read of Paul's thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, "7...I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."   So, should I find myself afflicted in the future with no voice, I will look to Heaven and know that God's grace is sufficient for me and that my weakness is to glorify Him. 

Again, I thank each of you for your many prayers on my behalf.  And I am so very thankful that God saw fit to return my voice once again!

Walking the walk & talking the talk,

6 comments:

Unknown said...

It's so nice to hear your voice again. I had forgotten how beautiful it is. :)

Jenifer Metzger said...

So glad to be able to hear my mama again! I know how hard it has been for you but God's grace is sufficent, as you said. Job lost everything but still remained faithful. If he can lose everything, we can go through our smaller trials, hard as they are.

Debi said...

Aww...thank's Lisa and thank you, Sis. I can't imagine not hearing your voice for that long! Love you both!!!

Phather Phil Malmstrom said...

Yay Debi!! So happy this condition has passed for you! Praising God for both your healing and good news from the doctor!

Have a Blessed Weekend! :-)

Unknown said...

I've never heard your 'real' voice, only your 'bloggy' one, but I'm sure those that can are glad it's back :-) Praising God with you!

Deane said...

Well Sis, I didn't realize you had posted. I don't think anyone knows how happy I was when I heard your beautiful voice after such a long time. It seemed longer this time than ever before. God is so good. I know how difficult this was for you this time but God was with you every step of the way. Praise Him for all he has done. Love you so much and blessings to you always.