This morning, as I was reading for my ifit journal, I started, like many of you, in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses recounted the past 40 years of wandering by Israel because they rebelled against God and didn’t take the land filled with milk and honey. Thousands died, thousands more suffered, and finally Israel was ready to listen to God and enter into the promised land.
By the time you get over to Deuteronomy 4, you’ll read Moses saying to Israel, now listen. Obviously, that hadn’t listened and now they had another opportunity to get it right.
All of us have those opportunities, don’t we? Sometimes we take advantage and sometimes we don’t. Thank God, for the past couple of days I’ve been listening. . .intently. Doctors have been talking; I’ve listened. My family has been talking; I’ve listened. Dear friends have been talking; I’ve listened. The word of God has been speaking loud and clear; I’ve listened.
But one other thing has been quietly speaking to me, something that like me, you probably ignore sometimes–my body. For the past ten days or so, my body has been speaking quietly about an issue that was very serious. One that, in fact, could have been a matter of life or death. It really was the heart of the matter.
After the visit to my cardiologist and ambulance ride to the hospital (first time in my life I rode an ambulance as a patient), and hours in the ER, I spent the night in the cardiology ward waiting to hear from my doctor. Yesterday, the came into the room and carefully explained her concerns. I listened. A few hours later I was on a treadmill for a stress test and laying in a machine taking pictures of my heart.
Doctor Smith called me after I returned to my room–and I listened. She said it was time for a catheterization. In the cath lab, I met some great people all of whom were there to help me. I listened. The doctor even did the heart cath with me awake (never had that before). I had an artery that was 95% occluded. That’s what my body had been telling me for days. He was able to stent the area that was blocked and immediately I felt relief. It was pretty amazing.
I’m very thankful for the good doctors, nurses, and others who have attended to my needs the past couple of days. I’m extremely grateful for friends and family who have shown great concern. My lovely wife has not left my side. I knew she wouldn’t.
Beyond all this, I’m most grateful for God’s word. After all, it truly is the heart of the matter. The Bible explains to us what it takes to know God. It tells us how to live, what to do and what to avoid. It shows us the path to personal peace. It leads us to the Cross of Christ.
Thank you dear Lord for your word and your presence. My heart is secure in your Son. I can rest, recover, and continue to serve.
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