For as long as I can remember I have endured headaches. When I was younger, and all through high school, I would get regular migraines that would effect me to the point of having to go to bed in a quiet, dark room and sleep off the pain. On numerous occasions my mom took me to various doctors in hopes of receiving some relief, three of which we anxiously awaited test results from MRI's and the like. Toward the end of high school and throughout college the headaches seemed to tapper off a bit and I was both relieved and ecstatic.
After giving birth to our first child I once again began having headaches. These were different, not quite as intense, though they would come through muscles in my back and up into my neck. I once again visited doctors and attempted various medicines but nothing seemed to take them away. With each pregnancy my dear husband would offer a blessing upon my head that, if only for the term of pregnancy, (with not wanting or able to take medications) would the headaches take a "leave of absence". With all four pregnancies our prayers were answered and I would be relieved of headaches not only for the term of pregnancy, but even months beyond. For the six months after our most recent birth my headaches were well under control. After that period they once again professed themselves, and this time with more intensity then I had ever felt before. They would come almost every other day and no medicine in the world seemed to work until we retired for the night, at which point I could only hope to awake in the morning with no residual pain.
Steven and I have prayed on numerous occasions over the years that we might be guided at some point in solving this mystery, and until that "point" came I had resolved within myself that I would attempt to look at each headache as a "humbling" experience. One night a few months ago we were heading for bed and once again I had, of course, a headache. Steven looked at me, thought for a moment, and then out of the blue said, "Why don't I take your pillow away from you tonight and just sleep flat"? Ummm. O.K., my first thought being "are you crazy, I love my pillow, I need my pillow, I don't want to sleep flat". Regardless of these feelings I reluctantly agreed, because at that point in life I would have slept on my head if someone told me it might help. My second, and most powerful thought was, "this will NEVER work, this is just to easy of an answer and it will never work". I woke up the next morning surprised and headache free. I woke up the following morning surprised and headache free. I continued to wake up each morning for the remainder of that month surprised and headache free. It has now been three months since my pillow was taken from me and in those ninety days I have had two headaches (both of which were solved with mere Tylenol).
I kneel in humble prayer each night for the wonderful blessing that Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me. I am truly humbled through this miracle that has occurred (for anyone who has suffered with headaches would understand what a miracle it is). As I lay flat in my bed each night I am reminded of the simplicity of the answer, "take the pillow away". I frequently lay there and think of that and my mind then wanders to the people of Moses and how so many refused to just look at the staff. Like me, they probably thought,"That is just too easy, that will NEVER work." I am so grateful for a patient Heavenly Father who truly hears and answers our prayers. At some point in my life I may once again have a time of headaches/no headaches, or, something entirely new. No matter what happens however, I have once again been offered a gentle reminder of the simpleness of His ways and indeed, He hears our every prayer.
