God answers prayers!

Last night, I kept feeling nervous about attending the barbecue at my daughter's school today. I didn't have my voice! At first, I thought I'd just wing it. Maybe have Jennifer act as my "voice" to talk with people. But what if I was in a situation where I HAD to talk?? It was just really bothering me.

So last night I said a prayer. I prayed that my voice would come back. I felt a little selfish, asking for something for ME in prayer. And also, I figured God already KNEW I wanted my voice to come back, namely by tomorrow. He already KNEW this! So why even ask?? But something told me I should just ask, anyway. Just tell God what it was that I desperately needed. I NEEDED my voice back!

Soon after my prayer, as I was trying to relax and go to sleep, I was suddenly struck with a coughing fit. it was a VERY STRONG coughing fit! I was coughing my head off! I got out of bed and hurried out of my room, because I didn't want to wake up the baby. In the living room, I just coughed and coughed. Then phlegm started coming up. Yuck!! And there was a lot of it, too. I kept going back and forth from the living room to the bathroom because I kept coughing up so much phlegm. At one point, after I spit some phlegm into the bathroom sink, I said, "Eww, that's gross."

Then I realized something: I was able to talk!! I HAD USED MY VOICE!!! I actually felt my voice as I spoke those words!! WOO-HOO!!!!!
The coughing fit wasn't over yet, though. I was still coughing and coughing. Still getting all of that phlegm out of there. And in between all that coughing, I kept testing to see if I could still talk. And I could! I didn't know what to do about the nonstop coughing, though. I kept wondering if I'd be coughing my head off all night! I knew I shouldn't take a cough suppresant, because of the phlegm coming up. So I texted hubby to ask him what I should do. He said to just lie completely flat on the couch until the coughing stops.

Eventually, after the coughing started dying down, I lied flat on the couch to rest. My throat started to tingle and feel a little scratchy. I still kept testing my voice to see if it was still there. I even recited the lyrics to the song "Major Tom" (the one by Peter Schilling). Everything was fine. My voice was not as strong as normal, but it was still a voice! I COULD SPEAK!
I still kept praying, though. I lied there on the couch, my hands on my chest, saying, "Please, Lord. Heal me." Then I eventually went to bed.
This morning when I woke up, my voice was a little stronger. Woo-hoo! And after I dropped Jennifer off at school, I went to the store to get some first aid for my ailing throat. I was going to get Celestial Seasonings Throat Soothers tea (it is GOOD STUFF!!) but they didn't have it. I started reading the ingredients of the other herbal teas until I decided that the Celestial Seasonings Honey-Lemon Ginseng Green Tea was the next best thing. I had a cup of that tea with my breakfast. By the time the barbecue at the school rolled around, I was talking a little more better and without any pain or itchiness in my throat. I DID have trouble with the reading part in the classroom after we all ate, mostly because I still have a cold and my nose was bothering me, but I was still able to talk pretty good.

And even now, I'm still talking pretty good! Even better, in fact!

PRAISE THE LORD! My prayer was answered!! I am once again verbal! God is good!