I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that hear your doctor say, “we’ve got some concerns and have you scheduled for a CT scan tomorrow”- I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that have physical pain that won’t end- I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that feel the pain and fear that loved ones are experiencing because they don’t know what the future will bring- I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that feel like you’ve possibly walked through a corridor of life that will mean a new and very uncertain “normal”- I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that get to a point of crying out and really feeling like you’ve got nowhere to turn for relief other than God- I understand how you feel...kind of.
For those of you that get to wits end leading to a cry in prayer so simple as “Lord help” because you can’t concentrate or think clearly due to pain- I understand how you feel...kind of.
When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.~Psalms 94:18-19
About a week ago I woke up on Saturday morning and felt a bad pain in my lower groin area which turned out to be a lump the size of a golf ball.
Dr. Google suggested that it could be a hernia. Turns out he was wrong.
By Monday symptoms began to take over my whole body. While I’m far from the sharpest knife in the block, I know enough that a hernia wouldn’t likely cause fever, headache, joint and muscle stiffness and general pain.
Time for a trip to my doctor.
After some poking and prodding, I left a cup to be analyzed in the secret closet shelf in the clinic bathroom along with a few tubes of blood.
Later that afternoon the doctor told me there needed to be more tests to rule some things out. The next day brought an ultrasound on my groin which led the doctor to giving the news that it’s lymph nodes that are the cause of pain and swelling.
After another fever and pain filled night, I found myself with IV hooked up being slid down the tunnel of the CT scan machine wondering what lies ahead.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.~Philippians 4:6-7
What an honor and blessing it’s been for me over the years with CBMC, to journey with so many that have faced life changing and in some cases life ending circumstances. Time and time again I am inspired by the attitude of gratitude and sense of peacethat I witness by people that have a strong and personal daily walk with Jesus as a primary focus of their life.
3 attributesI consistently see with people that are faced with these circumstances that endure well:
- They read or listen to the Bible daily
- They spend focused time in prayer and talking with Jesus throughout the day
- They care more about others than themselves
Late in the evening following my CT scan, a ding on my phone came in, it was a result of one of my many blood tests. This particular test wasn’t originally planned by the doctor so God intervened through a friend. When Laura heard what was going on, she said, "have them test for Lyme’s disease".
She was right.
Lyme’s is a devastating diseasethat affect’s every part of the body and can become a chronic condition if not caught early and treated with antibiotics.
I’m doing much better now since the Doxy started doing it’s job.
Who would have thought that God could work through a bug smaller than a pin head to have such a profound impact on my ability to empathize and feel others pain?
While what I’ve gone through isn’t the same as what you’ve gone through, I understand how you feel...kind of.
Carry each other’s burdens~Galatians 6:2
Alan Smith
CBMC Northland Area Staff