Supplication and Praise

Supplication. Pleading. Begging. Asking fervently. To God.

Praising. Glorifying. Lifting. Adoring. To God.

I have often been intrigued while reading the Psalms. I have been perplexed when David pleads earnestly to God with all his heart and suddenly praises God just a few verses later. It happens often with David. I wondered how he could flip the switch so quickly. See Psalms 22 and Psalms 28 as examples if you're not sure what I'm talking about. This past week, it clicked for me. I made a connection with David. It was really cool. Let me tell you how it happened.

Let me preface this by saying I am not looking for sympathy. I'm not asking for a pity party. The history of the week calls for some detail. Some pretty gross details. So if you can't handle gross, maybe you should skip over the next paragraph or two.

Last week, I had a tonsillectomy. Yep, at age fifty two. Now when you're five and have your tonsils out, you have a day or two of eating popsicles and ice cream and then, as if nothing happened, you're back to playing. Just like that. At fifty two? Ha! Not a chance.The doctor warned me I would hate him for two weeks. He said the pain meds would barely take the edge off. He said I would be off of work for two weeks. So how did it pan out? Have I hated him? Not a chance. Have the pain meds worked? Worse than predicted. Vomiting, nausea and near hallucinations. So not worth it. Two weeks off of work? The jury is still out on that one, but at this point, I can't even imagine having the energy to go in to work.

That's the overview. The following explains the reality of having your tonsils out at age fifty two. The day of surgery the hospital staff sends you home when you can barely function and just want to sleep. *GROSS ALERT* The twenty minute drive home was awful and I puked in my cute pink hospital bucket as we entered the garage. In the following days two and three, my throat felt as though it had been scorched and a dead animal thrown in for added bonus. The mucus/saliva/phlegm was so thick and in such great quantity that I felt at times like I was choking. Day four arrived and I thought I'd turned the corner only to have day five arrive with unmatched pain. I liken each swallow to the pain of childbirth contractions. I have a high pain tolerance, but this pain broke me.

Now you understand the place I was at this week. This is where, like David, my prayers of supplication took over. Normally, I am not a selfish pray-er, but this week, I prayed for myself. I prayed for me. I prayed, I begged, I cried out to the Lord for healing and for pain relief. I asked him for strength. I pleaded for mercy. And then, God brought my attention to him. I looked outside, and it was as if a switch flipped. My unmatched view out our two story wall of windows put me in a snow globe. The remarkable silent beauty was evident in the snowballed pine branches. The gentle flutter of snow mesmerized me. And it was then that I began praising God. I praised him for his greatness. I praised him for his gentleness. I praised him for his immense presence in my life.

God turned my "me" eyes into God eyes this week. He transposed my supplication into praise. He met me right here where I am. I finally understand David. Oh, my problems only are an inch in the mile of David's woes, but I get it. It only took fifty two years and a removed pair of tonsils to help me figure it out. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."

Refrain of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Helen Lemmel