Blessed

If you are looking at this picture, you see a happy, smiling, playful little girl. You see a curly haired, athletic, adventurous almost 3 year old who loves everything about life.
And that's exactly who Maggie is.
What you don't see is a little girl who has spent the last six months sick. You don't hear the coughing that wakes her up every night, sometimes causing her to have trouble breathing or making her throw up. You don't see the twelve doctor's appointments she has been to this year, the hundreds of breathing treatments she has had in her life and the dozens of times she has had to take oral medication. You would never guess she has struggled with ear infections, eye infections, throat irritations, sleep deprivation and constant snuffling and congestion. You would never know that she coughs and can't catch her breath after running or playing.
But that's exactly who Maggie is, too.
Tomorrow, we are taking the next step in figuring out what is wrong. She is getting blood work done, which will determine whether or not we will be going to a Nose, Throat and Ear Specialist. My heart is breaking for her. I really do not want my precious girl to be in pain or
be frightened. I hate that she has to get her blood drawn.
It freaks me out.
I am blessed to have a daughter who can walk, run , play, eat, talk and be free. I am blessed that we are not dealing with a life-threatening or debilitating illness. I am blessed to have a daughter who has an extremely, extremely good chance at a completely healthy and normal life. I am blessed to have doctors to go to, medicines to try, and family and friends to laugh and cry with. I am blessed that she has never been in the hospital.
I am blessed that I know my Jesus is walking beside me and Magdalena. And my Jesus will never leave us, and in fact, died in order to free her from these chains.
So, friends and readers, I ask you to just join my family in praying that tomorrow's blood test will be easy, calm and pain free. I pray that it will be quick and the technician will be skilled and experienced in dealing with young children. I also pray that a plan will be developed and Maggie's health (her coughing at night in particular) will improve quickly and dramatically. I pray that her third year will be totally different from her second year.
If you are looking at this picture, you see a blessed, joyful little girl who will be healed. You see a happy, loving girl who will sleep through the night. You see a curly-haired, crazy monkey who will forget that she ever coughed all night. You see a big sister who doesn't think of going to the doctor as a weekly thing and can run and play with ease. You see an amazing, healthy, smiling girl who has a big, wonderful, blessed future, full of spectacular things. And that is exactly who Maggie is.