Chalk Up Another One...Surgery That Is

In bowling it’s called a turkey, three strikes in a row. In ice hockey it’s called a hat trick, three goals in one game. I guess you could say that I just performed the very rare feat of a "Turkey Hat". Three surgeries within 6 months. I wonder what kind of trophy I’m going to get?

The colon surgery that I had back in late March is like a jelly of the month club, it’s a gift that keeps on giving all year long. The subsequent infection of said operation did not allow the incision to heal properly and as a result, I became the proud owner of an abdominal hernia. I asked the surgeon if I could simply ignore it and hope that a steady diet of tacos and nachos would correct it, but for some reason he didn’t think that was as effective as his proposal, surgery. So yesterday afternoon I went back into the hospital once again and contributed to the American healthcare system. Hey, if anything, I’m a team player.

After 6 months, things came flooding back. The smell of the hospital. The feel of a hospital bed. The sting of the IV. And of course, the sadistic backless gowns. But what really came unexpectedly flooding back was the helplessness. If you’ve ever had a major surgery, you know about helplessness. After you emerge from the operating room, you aren’t even a match for a toddler. The fog of the anesthesia, the localized pain of the surgical area and well, just an overall feeling that the coyote dropped a piano on your head. I always thought it odd that ACME would ship a piano to the middle of the desert. Did the coyote even have an address? My mom has always said the hours right after surgery feel like you got hit by a truck. Her great motherly wisdom would be correct.

As I lay there yesterday in the post-op, pondering the painful situation I found myself in once again, I considered my helplessness. The inability to stand up, the powerlessness to raise an arm, and the inability to even make sense of my surroundings. A total lack of any ability to help myself. If I remained in this state, I would be doomed. And in this moment, my mind drifted off to be with God.

During my spiritual trip to visit God, He revealed something to me. Just as I was completely helpless in my current physical state, I am just as powerless in my spiritual state. On my own, if want to make my way into Heaven, I cannot stand. On my own, if I want to be spiritually united with God, I am powerless to raise an arm to claim it. And if I want the wisdom of God to handle the daily problems of this world, I in my own power, am as feeble as a newborn fawn.

As I continued to lie in that hospital bed, I was drawn back into reality by a flurry of activity. Nurses abound around me. They are taking my temperature, blood pressure, and other essential vitals. They are administering pain killers, filling out charts and constantly nurturing me. Since I cannot care for myself, someone else has been sent. I am so thankful for nurses. And I have been blessed with some amazing ones in the last 6 months. Men and women that God built to care, love, and heal others. A calling that I think is oh, so close to God’s own heart.

You know, when it comes to our helpless spiritual condition, God didn’t neglect us. He sent someone to care for our very souls. He sent someone to love us, nurture us, and to ensure that we would live in eternal health. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ.

Folks, today if you have never claimed Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are spiritually helpless. You are powerless to find eternal life, you are incapable of finding the wisdom of God, and you are unable to find the true abundant life that can only come through the spiritual provision of your creator, Almighty God.

Today, claim the powerful, joy-filled life that Jesus came here to offer you. The gift of Salvation through Jesus is just that, a gift. But just as with any gift, you must claim it. He has laid it at your feet, all you must do is reach down and pick it up. Admit that you have sinned and done wrong in your life. This sin keeps you from God, but Jesus is the way back to God. The precious blood that Jesus shed upon the Cross 2000 years ago is sufficient to cover every sin that has or ever will exist. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you from the eternal separation from God that your sin brings. If you cry out to Christ, He is faithful to hear and respond.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

You may not be recovering from surgery today like me, but you can be just as weak and frail in your spiritual condition. Allow Jesus to tend to your soul today, for it only through Christ that true healing can occur.

Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers, God allows me to feel each and every one in His perfect timing.