Last month, my four year old grandson became very jaundiced, as his liver was not functioning properly. As a result, he experienced and continues to experience itching all over his body. Doctors ran numerous blood tests and after a liver biopsy, are pretty confident in their diagnosis of benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis. Grandparents do NOT like to see their grandchildren suffer. Thankfully, as a result of much prayer and the work of many doctors, nurses, hospitals, and his loving parents, my grandson is improving and we expect things to go well from here on.
What I found myself doing, and what I learned through this was more about praying without ceasing. My understanding from Paul’s writing was that he was talking about constant communion with God about everything in life, not just a particular incident. However, the practical application that I learned as my thoughts were consumed with my grandson, was that I would find myself in prayer for him when I woke up in the middle of the night, and again as I woke in the morning. This was a new experience for me, and I learned a lot from it, and I hope to apply it more as I continue to learn more about constant communion with God, and having the mind of Christ.
This is a picture of my Grandson and me after my stent procedure at Baylor Hospital. He is still a little jaundiced, but considering what we've been through, we are in pretty good shape!
With all of this going on, last weekend I had a heart attack twenty miles into a thirty-six mile bike ride. You can read the whole story here at my other blog, but to make a long story short, I made it to the local hospital and was taken by helicopter to Baylor Hospital in Dallas to have another (my third) stent put in my heart.
The hardest part was while I was in the hospital in Waxahachie. The doctor said, “Mr. Smith, you are having a heart attack.” The pain in my chest was intense, radiating through my back. I considered that I might die, and I did not experience fear. I am very confident in my salvation. What I experienced at that point is a little difficult to put into words. I remember thinking, “If I die, what will it be like?”
So what did I “learn” through this experience that I had “studied” before? I learned that we are never closer to Christ than in our suffering. Christ suffered greatly on his way to and while he hung there on the cross. I know that He experienced more suffering than I will ever experience in this life, but I experienced some intense pain for what was close to an hour. In that hour, I was very close to Christ, and while I prayed for the doctors and nurses and for myself, I was totally dependent on God’s will.
THANK YOU, LORD
Copyright 1972 by Lexicon Music, Inc
Thank you, Lord,
for the trials that come my way.
In that way I can grow each day
as I let you lead,
And thank you, Lord,
for the patience those trials bring.
In that process of growing,
I can learn to care.
But it goes against the way
I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.
'Cause when those trials come,
my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting
can be easily ignored.
I thank you, Lord,
with each trial I feel inside,
that you're there to help,
lead and guide me away from wrong.
'Cause you promised, Lord,
that with every testing,
that your way of escaping is easier to bear.
But it goes against the way
I am to put my human nature down
and let the Spirit take control of all I do.
'Cause when those trials come,
my human nature shouts the thing to do;
and God's soft prompting
can be easily ignored.
I thank you, Lord,
for the victory that growing brings.
In surrender of everything
life is so worth while.
And I thank you, Lord,
that when everything's put in place,
out in front I can see your face,
and it's there you belong.
