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Friday, September 5, 2014

What Is My Lesson In All of This?

    Like so many things in life I hope to learn my lessons the easy way.  But of course I can't always pick the lessons I learn or even if they will be easy lessons or difficult lessons.  I am given the reassurance that God can turn the bad things  into something different and something good.  The popular verse Rom8:28 comes to mind right about now. " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  I don't think this verse means that God only allows good things to happen to us, but that He is capable of taking everything, good and bad and to make something good come out of it.  I heard Joyce Meyer recently talking about when Jesus waited to come to Lazarus' aid and in the mean time he died.  She mentioned that we often question why God allowed such and such to happen.  And that often it isn't even about us.  God may be allowing the situation to happen so that some time down the road we can use that experience to be of help to someone else.

As a dear friend and I were talking, she mentioned that it will be so amazing when we get to Heaven and we see all the pieces that God put together in our lives here on Earth.  Things we didn't even recognize while here will be revealed there.

So as I'm sifting through the pieces of the puzzle to the events that happened in my life in the last month I'm trying to figure out, "What is my lesson in all of this?".  I'm thinking there's several lessons to be learned.  So here goes the list!

The first lesson that comes to mind are all the many times God showed Himself to be real and active in my life!  Which I know I referenced in my last Blog entitled, God Must Really Love Me.  I wrote about the many ways God took care of me in a bad situation that could have been extremely worse than it was!

As some of you may know one week later to the day, on Thrs. Aug.14th/ actually it happened at 12:30a.m on Friday, but in my mind it still felt like Thursday. I had another hemorraging and was taken by ambulance to the local ER at Aultman Hospital.  Thankfully my husband was still in town! This particular incident was every bit as scary as the first that happened in Lancaster, PA.  I was calmer at first because I knew God had taken care of me the last time.  On the ambulance ride in, I kept reciting Ps. 46:1 "God is our refuge a very present help in time of need.".  Thankful that God gave me that verse right when I needed it!

Upon arrival to the ER, a young nurse named Katie assessed the needs and got an ER doctor in to see me. Steve drove in, so when he arrived she was helping me.  Which I think he was exposed to more than what he saw last time. It's kind of a blur in my mind.  I just remember the hemorrhaging and feeling the need to tell Steve I loved him.  He said I said it over and over again and then he said it looked like I was having a seizure.  I remember telling him I love you several times and the pain getting so bad that I couldn't stand it anymore and suddenly everything felt calm, no pain, no anxiety, just peace.  At that moment Steve says he was fearful that he was going to lose me.  The nurse got the ER doctor and he said I had just passed out.  It was brief, only for a few seconds, but the reprieve in the pain and mental anguish was enough to help me get through the hurdle. Another God sighting, even in the midst of pain He allowed me to pass out to give me that reprieve.

The ER doctor notified the Ob/gyn that was on call that I needed emergency surgery.  Now at this point I'd already had two major surgeries, one on July 23 rd a robotic hysterectomy and on Aug 7th the same surgery they were going to do again. Check to make sure no damage in the healing process from the hysterectomy and send a scope in through incision to see where the internal bleeding was occurring. So this was becoming old hat, talking to an anesthesiologist, getting a shower cap put on my head, meeting a surgical team. This time I was scared because I'd had a snack around 9:30 p.m. And I knew they'd need to put that pipe down my throat.  But I knew I'd be out.  Incidently this was around 2:30a.m. And Steve posted on Facebook about this emergency surgery.  Two people were up at that time and saw the post and said they were praying, Mike Gardner and Rose Medley. Thank you to both of you and anyone else out there that was praying!  All I know is I felt I was at the mercy of God, the surgeons and those holding me up to God in prayer!

So, the next morning as I was coming to, my doctor who performed the hysterectomy made his rounds. They still couldn't find where I was bleeding and couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again!  That was not reassuring!  And this time my blood count was 6.9. Which meant I'd need a transfusion of 2 pints of blood.

Still in the hospital on Friday for observation and to run tests.  No guarantees, just needs.  I cried out to God to help me. He gave me an awesome nurse named Melissa.  She and I bonded if that is possible. She took the time to be a friend.  She administered the transfusions and allotted extra time to ensure that I didn't have any reactions. No reactions to the blood transfusions praise God! She also had a newspaper delivery background and hit it off with Steve.  We laughed and shared stories and that was such a bright spot!  The next morning was Saturday, and I woke up with a migraine.  The nice thing about being in the hospital is you can take some pretty strong pain killer and anti nausea medicine and you're better in no time!  Little things and big things, God is good!!

This time I was released on Sunday morning to come home.  Shew I'd made it! Still no guarantees of future bleeding.  They did have a game plan in place if the hemorrhaging started again, to rush right into surgery to find the artery that was bleeding, while it was happening.  The human side of me sees this as no guarantees, but the hope in me from God sees there were people all over the place praying for me, sharing my need with their churches.  I have no idea how many people were praying but I'm sure it was in the hundreds.  All I can say, is God is indeed One Who hears and answers prayer!!

I am now 6 weeks out from the original hysterectomy, which they did say that's when complete healing would occur and there would be no more chances of the hemorrhaging happening again!!  I only just realized that on Wed evening before heading out the door to teach my first lesson in Word Warriors to our church kids!  I was ready to have a celebration at that point!!

You know something, when I was in the hospital one of the things that I was thinking about was the logistics of how to get my lessons together for Word Warriors!  It gave me yet another to fight the good fight!  I remember my Mom teaching me that when you're sick and it's easy to focus on self, to find a ministry to give to. And that in return there is a blessing!  Her legacy lives on!  Wed night I was so blessed to see a group of kids excited to learn God's Word and having fun!  God is so good!!!

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