Priesthood Power and Prednisone

I was intending to write a nice little blog about Thanksgiving and the silly traditions my family and I share during this holiday, but my mind has wandered elsewhere over the last 36 hours, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Last weekend I started feeling under the weather. It was great timing that the Thanksgiving break hit at the same time, because I otherwise would not have been able to survive it. I performed a show Saturday with a sore throat, Monday with a tired throat, and two shows on Wednesday with a sore throat, only to wake up on Thursday with no voice at all. This was later "diagnosed" as laryngitis. Awesome. However, I am a little hesitant to believe anything the doctor said to me regarding this, because he was missing teeth, his scrubs were tucked in (and didn't fit him), and he looked like he hadn't groomed his face in a week. But that's a completely different thought, and hopefully a different post to come on my opinion on doctors. 

Anyway, I walked around Thursday and Friday with a white-board/ipad, writing everything I needed to say to be on vocal rest. I was supposed to perform three shows on Saturday, and as it's closing weekend, I didn't want to miss them at all. However, when I woke up friday with even less of a voice, I called out the 11:00 show and promptly rushed to Instacare to get some help.. (Again, shadiest doctor I've ever had.) I left with a prescription of Prednisone (STEROIDS!) and filled them quickly and took them right away (against the pharmacist's direction--I couldn't wait until the morning to put these babies into action!) Sure, taking them at that time of the day really knocked out my sleeping schedule, but nothing a little Nyquil couldn't fix. And since I'm talking about it, let me just add that I also threw in a little Mucinex D, so as I lay in bed, my body was on a wild ride. I did NOT enjoy what I felt or saw, and if that is ANYTHING close to what people feel when they are "trippin'....then I don't understand it.

And I know that what I am about to say will seem ironic compared to the statements I just made regarding drug-use. Alas, I digress. I woke up Saturday feeling like I got hit by a truck, and went to the theater anyway with high hopes and prayers to make it through these shows. And.... I did. 

Here is why.

The Lord answers prayers. God wants us to succeed, and I am so blessed because he allowed me to succeed yesterday. And this is even more of a blessing to me because it was something that was on MY time-table. We always are taught that the Lord has a plan, and a time-table for us, and if it isn't meant to be, than it won't work out. Well, I made it through the shows, and with the exception of a few scratches here and there, and I think I made out pretty darn well. Before my first show, I received a priesthood blessing from two worthy priesthood holder's at the theater, and though I attribute about 7% of my success to these crazy steroids, I know that the majority of my success was a blessing from the Lord. And do you know how I know this? Because it is Sunday morning, and here I am in bed with absolutely no voice, and no trace of being able to have one, feeling like garbage.

God really loves us. And sure, singing for a day is a pretty trivial thing compared to the cares and concerns of the world. But it was a real care and concern of mine, and I feel so loved and comforted to know that my concerns were and are important enough to receive attention from my Heavenly Father.

Don't doubt. We are loved. We are blessed. We are truly cherished. And I truly believe that no fear or concern is too small or too trivial to take to the Lord. I really do believe that. Remember, He wants us to be happy! He really does. And as I lay here, sick and tired and lonely and in pain, I am truly happy.