Praise God, I am not anaphylactic! I discovered this when I was
stung three times by wasps in my back garden; twice on my head and once on my
wrist. The pain was piercing, sharp and horrible ~ like a knife being poked
into my skin constantly. I was rushed to the emergency department and
given antihistamines and steroid pills for two days. I went to sleep listlessly
that night with the constant pain despite four painkillers.
When I woke up the
next morning, lo and behold, the pain was gone from all three spots. They felt sore, but none of the sharp pain. I couldn't stop praising God and thanking him! I found out from a friend that she suffered pain for eight days when she was
stung. And another friend lost a family member just weeks earlier after only one sting. That made me so
thankful to God that I was still alive.
Strangely the two stings
on my head did not itch, but the one one my wrist was so very itchy and red,
even after five days. As Good Friday draws near, the itch on my wrist drew me to
contemplate Christ's suffering ... the pain I endured on my wrist and head
was no where comparable to the crown of thorns that sat on Jesus' head, or the
scourging and mocking he endured for those many hours, or the excruciating pain
of the crucifixion, and the heart-wrenching pain of separation from his
Father. I thank our Heavenly Father for his everlasting protection, for his amazing
grace and his steadfast love.