Never Too Old To Learn

This past weekend was one roller coaster ride that felt like all control switched hands. Dale and I drove to Albuquerque to see a doctor at urgent care about how the altitude was affecting me. One thing led to another and I was in the hospital with heart disease. I still don’t know how I went from a normal EKG, normal chest x-ray and blood work to 2 days stay in their lovely facility.

I am once again reminded to take control of the situation with my body and doctors. When the first doc, from an normal EKG and chest x-ray said I had moderate heart disease, not low-risk, but moderate heart disease I flipped. You see, my father died at just over a month into his 62nd year. My body make-up is more like his than my mom. Here I am coming up on 62 and very concerned about his statistics becoming mine. Therefore, when this doc said this my blood pressure shot up and I went into a funk. And I followed his advise to go to the Heart Hospital for blood tests. Ha.

I was taken into their emergency room, hooked up to an IV after too many stabs on my hands and arms, put on the EKG machine and hooked up to some saline solution. Then they took blood and we waited. I was asked all kinds of “heart” questions and yet no one listened to me about altitude here in New Mexico messing with my vital signs and me. When the blood results came back  they were all normal. No dead artery pieces floating in my blood stream setting off alarms of heart disease. And this is where I should have told them I was leaving. I forgot to listen to my body. I knew my heart wasn’t involved here.

God has been reminding me through this ordeal that He is the firm foundation that I stand on. He is the one that has a plan and a purpose. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

At the end of all the doctors guessing and tests, they decided I have acid reflux. Never mind that those symptoms aren’t there as was the symptoms not there for a heart involvement. Yet, God in His infinite grace has brought me back to leaning on Him instead of trying to understand. He has promised that He will see us through trials and heartache rather than leave us. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46.

I am also reminded of the hardships that my mom and dad went through – physically and financially. Dad was a logger and mom a housewife/mom. We didn’t have a lot. It was a big deal when dad would bring home a “new” used car. Yet, we never went without. Even when dad ended up with a broken back and at the VA hospital in Portland, we survived. We grew and became stronger in our faith and in our relationship with each other. We never went without food, shelter or love and the bills some how were paid. And life was good.

I am reminded of Matthew 6 and God’s promise to us.

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

The hero’s of faith in Hebrews 11 understood the promises of God. Leaning on God isn’t something to be ashamed of but something to rejoice in. Nothing is impossible with God and I am here to tell you of  miracles I saw this weekend. His hand in all the tests they did refuted the first diagnosis of heart disease, and the outcome of us not being charged for one day in that hospital because the doctor wouldn’t read my “normal” stress test so I could go home. Another miracle I saw was my heart. The tech remarked that it was “a beautiful heart.” Explaining my wonder and amazement at seeing my heart, the shape of it and how it worked – well, the best I can do is this organ that keeps ticking away is the work of my Lord’s hands.

I just read a devotional by Chuck Swindoll about the three steps to victory in this life. He said “In order to enter into the ranks of the victorious, we must be “born of God.” It occurs when I accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Then comes faith. I draw upon the power that is in me. I no longer operate on the basis of human strength, but by faith. I rely upon divine power.

Then is truth. Everything is made possible by the truth, by believing the truth, by living the truth. Allow the truth to invade, reshape, and cultivate your life anew.”

This encouragement shows us that believing that God exists and that God is not only in the big things of life, but the small ones too, we can have victory over fear, over worrying, over anything we want to exalt above God and His peace will fill us to the brim.

Living in a family that  that loved God, I learned that it isn’t how much money you have or don’t have, or the heartbreaking situations that come our way or having only to wear clothes your mom makes. What matters is how we put God  at the head of all that comes our way, believing His promises and believing in faith that He is the I AM.

I am totally trusting God will take care of this “financial and health” glitch as His peace fills my heart and mind. I know because I believe and stand on His promises.