does it hurt when you get slapped in the face?

have you ever read something and then had to sit back in awe at what it said? as some of you know, i have been stuck in the frozen town of great lakes, illinois for a while. i graduated boot camp 2 months ago and was ready to get to school! the fact that my school is in pensecola, florida is just a plus. :) one week before i graduated i was told that i was anemic and i would be staying in illinois for a little while. okay...2 months is more than a little while! however, my faith has become stronger because of this unexpected journey. i have always trusted that God would supply all my needs. this is something i grew up knowing. im fortunate to have a God-fearing family! i guess when you face trials you are constantly looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, but my tunnel just seemed to get darker.

it all started when i arrived at boot camp. i was instructed to remove my contacts because you can not have them there. so i did thinking that i would soon have the glasses that you are issued there. although i was blind as a bat, i continued with the process. go pee in a cup while a 4'11" lady calls you cookie and stares at you while you are squatting. after that uncomfortable situation, she says that if i cotinue eyeballing her she will break my arm and/or kill me. haha, she wouldn't really do that????? and so, processing days have begun. we get our shots, we learn to fold clothes, go thru medical, dental and vision exams, and get yelled at like we are 4 years of age. after 7 days of complete blindness, i am issued my bcg's. yes, i finally got my glasses and when i looked in the mirror i realized why they call them bcg's. bcg stands for birth control glasses. lol...they are called this because no man in his right mind would touch you while you are wearing them. i missed my first phone call home because i had my wisdom teeth cut 2 days before we were supposed to use the phones. now, in the civilian world you get a lot of medicine and a week to get over everything. hahahahaha! no, not in the military world. you get two days. yep, two! AND...you do not have the luxery of being knocked out during the process. i was awake for the entire thing. luckily i have and insane pain tolerance. it's a good thing too because i was a tester for a newbee to the dental world. isn't that nice? i had 3 teeth removed. the last tooth had to be cut out...i felt everything, including the moment he cut a nerve. that was pleasant...i recommend everyone try it. really???? anyway...it kept me from calling my family when everyone else did. a week later i got to call. i was so excited! i cried the whole time i was running to the phone center. which, by the way, is about a mile from the building i was in. i ran into the phone booth and called my dad. as he answered i could barely get the word hello out. it wouldn't have mattered if i did...i could hear him but he couldnt hear me. i went through 2 more phones before i got in touch with him. he was happy, mom was happy, i was happy....it was just a happy moment. all happy for a few seconds, then dad gave me the news that my uncle had passed away. the tears flowed heavy and i could not speak. we said i love you and goodbye then i headed back. i wanted to be home. i wanted to comfort my family during this time. all i could do was pray. it was then that i started reading my bible every free moment i had. i have continued that process to this day.

ive written all of this non-sense to say one thing. i have been upset because nothing is going the way i planned. i keep wondering what the reason is behind it. then i remembered a verse in proverbs chapter 16..."a mans heart plans his ways, but the Lord guides his steps." and yes, sometimes it does hurt when you get slapped in the face.