IF I talk to God, I am possibly classified as a religious nut. When he speaks back, I am diagnosed schizophrenic.

Recently, I have had a problem with kidney infection. I have wrestled with this problem before and while it is painful, my doctor usually gives me an antibiotic that gets rid of it in about three days.

This time it was a little different. Since I don’t drive I have friends who will drive me in an emergency. I had started to get really sick and knew that God gives people good sense to go to a doctor.

Off we went to Tampa, James Haley VA Hospital and I knew I was safe. I did blood work, etc, well a urinalysis, and blood work for some other physical problems they have found but that is not what my story is about.

Immediately, or so it seemed, I saw my doctor whom I have had since 1995. She knew right away that it was another kidney infection and prescribed an antibiotic which I knew would help me.

I had already started taking it when she called, explaining that she had just seen my culture and it was the wrong medicine that she had given me. Though it probably would help, it simply wasn’t going to be what would fight off this.

With being a veteran, we always laugh and say, it’s about, “Hurry up and wait.” It takes from seven to ten days for the meds to get to me. My spleen is not healthy so as you can imagine I am sick.

Upon awakening this lovely morning, I asked Him to help me get my medicine in the mail today. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. “Let Him do His job.”

I was still a little upset when I went to my mailbox and no pills. That’s when it really kicked in that God has to be in the driver’s seat in order for me to live my life happily. Sometimes it seems to be so hard for me to remember all the goodness and mercy He has bestowed on me.

I knew I had to pray. I took my little child, a cat named Precious and walked to a small dock that is here and found so many exciting things that He has created. I talked to her about the beautiful fish and there was a couple of small alligators swimming by. Things that He has given me. The ability to love even the sight of a tiny fish! Precious sat and waited for me as always. She taught me how to love originally and I guess it simply blossomed.

How sweet life is if we are just thankful.

When I got back home, He spoke to me. I mean really talked. He said that I would not really know what he looks like because my pictures of Jesus hang everywhere so I thought He looked like that and he actually laughed in a sweet way and said something to the effect that if I saw Him it would be too overwhelming for me. I asked Him if He would take me home and He won’t. He told me to just be patient. He also said that He likes to drive so I should stop trying to take control of my life.

You have no idea what a hard butt I am and for Him to speak to me. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. He will take care of me until the medication gets here. Why did I doubt that he would?

It is so hard sometimes to give up the wheel in our lives but when He says it, I take heed. He’s not going to allow anything to happen to me. I just have to trust.

Sharlett F. Hunt Sharlette863@aol.com