In my Bible study through church, we have been studying about God all-wise, all-knowing, all-loving, all-good, never-changing. And, He is! Last week we studying about God, omnipresent. God was present with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. God was present with Paul who felt alone as he defended the Gospel. The question was posed how does the fact God is ever-present impact your outlook on something in your own life. ...what would your answer be...
I immediately thought of Benjamin. I love Benjamin. I do my best to protect and care for him. But, I can not be everywhere he is. The One who loves him most, the One who created him and made him just the way he is, is with him all.the.time. God is ever-present for Benjamin the same way He is for me. God is ever-present for Benjamin in a way I can never be.
This tattered, expired EpiPen package is one beautiful example of God's protection over Benjamin. We carried an EpiPen for one year and never needed it.
At the end of December, it was time to go back to the allergist. I thought they would update our epi pen prescription and we would leave. This summer when we ate out at yogurt places we would see topical reactions simply from Benjamin sitting in the chairs where the person before him had eaten ice cream. It was not uncommon to see him react to sitting in high chairs at different restaurants. We hadn't seen a reaction in a while. We decided to test his skin the same way we did when he was a baby and discovered his milk allergy. We put a drop of milk on his face.
Redness with a hive. When we went to the allergist, I told her about that. She scolded us for performing the experiment. Duly noted. Then she re-tested him for the milk allergy. His reaction this time was larger than his reaction a year ago.
Mama, trying to stay calm, what does that mean? It means that his potential for an anaphylaxic reaction is as high as it has ever been. Keep up the same bubble that we have been keeping, because so far it has worked. And, it means that we won't test him next year, because there is no real likelihood of seeing a decrease in allergy by age 3 with the higher reading this time. It does not mean he will never outgrow it, but there is no guarantee that he will and we will probably not see any potential toward it until closer to age 5.
So, we continue to buy his no-dairy "butter" from Whole Foods. We read every label. (Milk is in or "may be in" so many things!) We train every one who keeps him on his dose for Benadryl, how to use the EpiPen, and the need for dialing 911.
Mom, what are you fussing for? Let's wrap this up.
See Mom, I clearly get enough to eat.
As I watch this little guy turn 2, in both age and in attitude, I continue to pray that God will watch over him when I can't and prepare me for the inevitable. As he learns that his sister is clearly getting a milk that he is not and seems to be getting stubbornly more curious, I pray that God will make me quick on my toes to keep things out of his reach and calm when the accident inevitably happens.
And for now I praise God for His protection of our little man up to this point! One year with no need for the EpiPen we carried is no small thing. We trust in the One who promises He is with us; we can not flee from His presence!
