I just can’t get my mojo back, I have dropped 30+ pounds from stress and worry and it seems Satan wants to shut me down, shut me up, and cause me to give up.
For six months I’ve been struggling physically. Nothing fatal (thank God) just surgery, four days in the hospital with an NG tube from an intestinal blockage caused by abdominal adhesions shoved up my nose and down my throat, and now a nasty incisional hernia that needs repair.
I was scheduled for lengthy surgery for the end of March.
Four hours, 3-days in the Petri dish hospital, and a long recoup, so I decided to get another opinion. I did my research and found a renowned doctor that does minimally invasive surgery, could fix the hernia, and address the adhesions.
Confused about what to do — I prayed and asked the Lord to make it plain to me which surgeon He wanted me to use.
I waited 2.5 hours to see the second opinion surgeon.
In the waiting room, an elderly black woman sat next to me and started talking to herself. She was rocking back and forth, mumbling under her breath: “I just need to speak life over this body and believe God at His word. That’s what I need to do!”
Although a bit odd, I didn’t consider unsolicited rantings about God a clear sign — me being me — I wanted something more concrete.
Finally, after two hours I got to see the surgeon. He was a tall, soft-spoken gentleman with a calming demeanor. As he checked my bulging hernia I said to him: “I really have to apologize for being so anxious and nervous. This whole thing has gotten me very upset.”
He stepped back, looked at me dead on and said: “What are you anxious about? Don’t you know that your life is in God’s hands and that He alone is in control of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G?”
Amazed, I responded, “What did you just say?” He replied, “I said, ‘God is ultimately in control’!”
Then he said: “Are you a believer? Because I am.”
Doctors bringing up Jesus may be the norm in red states, but not in New York. Immediately, tears rolled out of the sides of my eyes and I said to him: “I can’t believe you just said that!”
I explained that I had specifically asked the Lord to give me a clear, undeniable sign as to who my surgeon should be.
That, my friends, was a clear sign.
The doctor looked stunned and said, “R-E-A-L-L-Y?” Clearly, he was moved that the Lord used him that way. I told him that Jesus sent me to him to test his patience, and sent him to me to fix my busted up body.
He started to explain what he was going to do. I told him, “You don’t need to tell me anything, it’s obvious that Jesus is doing the surgery and whatever you plan to do to me I’m fine with it.”
He smiled.
The projected surgery time went down from four to 1.5 hours and from open to minimally-invasive/robotic.
The point here isn’t about surgery, adhesions, blockages, hernias or robotic technology – it’s about God.
The Lord Jesus knows our weaknesses. Yet, He meets us, without condemnation, right where we are. He knows what we need and He provides for that need — and in doing so — He blesses the one doing the blessing and the one that needs to be blessed.
For both me and that doctor there were blessings all around because — trust me — even my surgeon’s faith was impacted by our little Jesus encounter.
Know this — God is alive! We can trust Him. He will guide and direct us if we ask. And His people are everywhere.
Isaiah 30:21 “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’.”
Thank you Lord!
Image:Excerpted from: Drlahey; CC by 3.0; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_doctor_is_in.png
