Heart-pounding, dramatic, appreciative, puzzling, amazing, impactful. What do these adjectives have in common? Don’t strain your brain. I’ll tell you.

 

Thursday evening, September 19 my husband, John, became deathly pale and short of breath. By midnight he could barely stand. This prompted a heart-pounding drive to the ER. John was rational enough to tell me a couple of times to slow down. He didn’t want me to be pulled over by a policeman and have to give a lengthy explanation for my speeding.

 

Next was the admission and suspected diagnosis of internal bleeding… but where? Around 11 a.m. Friday he was wheeled away for an endoscopy (tube with a camera threaded down the throat). The results? “Dramatic findings,” were the doctor’s exact words. For you medical lingo junkies, John had a dieulafoy lesion in his duodenum, causing blood to spurt into his digestive tract. The doctor located the site of the bleed and cauterized it. John remained in the hospital a few more days, received five units of blood (evidently he had lost a lot), and returned home Monday, September 22, feeling “like a million dollars.” To put it mildly, we were extremely appreciative to the doctors, medical staff, family and friends who cared and prayed, and of course the Lord for the good outcome.

 

Three days later John developed a puzzling bleed in his urinary tract and thus began over a week of more tests, procedures, doctor’s consults, etc. This “issue” seems to be resolved for now, although he may yet have to undergo a few further tests.

 

Through this anatomical adventure, John and I have frequently commented on how the human body is truly amazing! Of course we know it is that way, because it was designed by our amazing Creator! It is incredible what doctors can do, but even more miraculous that God made the body capable of healing after such damage.

 

Crises, particularly those that are life-threatening to myself or a loved one, strike me anew with the fragility of life. Such brushes with eternity are impactful to say the least.

 

As Francis of Assisi wrote in “Letters to Rulers of People”… Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in His sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received… but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage. Paul similarly urges Timothy… Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (I Timothy 4:7,8)

 

So I thank the Lord for these unexpected “events” that remind me of what’s most important and even prompt much-needed spiritual tune-ups from time to time. Hopefully I won’t need another for quite awhile!