Good thing I showered BEFORE my appointment :)

After getting a cavity filled last week, something didn't seem quite right and I decided I should go back in to have it checked out - which turned out to be a good idea. Unfortunately, the only open appointment was Tuesday at 9 am, three hours before we were supposed to leave for Africa. So Monday night, I stayed up really late, got everything ready that I could, and hoped for a quick fix.

Ten minutes after my hygienist took an x-ray, she came back in to tell me I was going to need an emergency root canal and they were going to send me right over to the endodontist. Between my lack of sleep, anxiety about my trip, and horror stories about root canals, I might have accidentally had a minor melt down as I drove from one office to the next. I pulled it together enough to tell my team what was going on and put some powerful prayer warriors to work before I got called back.

My endodontist and his hygienist turned out to be great... I told him about my trip and he told me we were of the "same accord" - he goes on dental mission trips a couple times a year to Honduras. He wished me well on my trip and promised to get me out of there quickly and without too much pain. He managed to keep both of those promises :)

As I write this now, flying safely over the ocean, I can see a million stars outmy window and the sun coming up out of windows on the other side of the plane... I'm full of peace and my hindsight is 20/20. It seems pretty silly to have worried at all... To paraphrase my eloquent and sympathetic friend, Adam, "See? What did worrying do for you anyways?" :)

But it's true - I do believe that God works all things for good, that we are never out of reach of His sovereign hand, that by worrying we will not add a day to our life, and that if God has called you to something, He will go before you and make a way.

Knowing how things work in Uganda,I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities where the rubber will hit the road, to show that I really did learn from my little slip-up, to not just be a hearer of the Word, but a doer. I just pray that the Lord would fill me with peace that transcends understanding, joy despite circumstance, and trust in His plan. And I pray all these things for you, my sweet friends!

I'm sorry if this all seemslike incoherent ramblings - I'll blame it on my tylenol/codeine kicking in :) Love you all and I'll update as soon as I can after we land!!

In His grip,
Caitlin