Surgery Today.

As I write this, I am sitting in the living room of our friends' home. I am watching Mork and Mindy reruns and enjoying the companionship of others. As you read this, I am at the hospital. I might be in the waiting room, or in pre-op. I might be lying on an operating table with a breathing tube in my throat and instruments in my belly, or I might be in recovery. It's possible I've been assigned to a hospital room for a day or two, or I might even be at home in my own bed. It all depends.

You see, I am having surgery. After daily pain, increasing fatigue, complications involving several other organs, I have chosen to go down this road. Again. It will most likely be laparoscopic (tiny incisions, tiny camera and instruments, "Band-Aid surgery"). It is possible that it will be converted into a laparotomy (big incision, "regular surgery") mid procedure.

So, while I, ahem, sleep... I'll leave you with something to think about.

Healing. I've been told by many that I need to have faith, and just believe God for my healing. I do have faith. And I know that God has already provided my healing for me. I also know that God has enabled medical science to progress to a point where it is able to help me. To make my point, let me tell you a story.

There was a man sitting on his porch. He noticed his neighbors rushing frantically in and out of their homes, loading their cars and trucks, even trailers, with boxes and bags. He wondered what was going on.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he called to the one he knew as a "nice old man."

Pointing to the dark clouds overhead, the man replied, "There's a storm coming, and the levee hasn't been repaired yet. They say to expect a flood, and we've been ordered to evacuate."

"Oh... okay. Well, I have faith in God. He will preserve me."

That night, the levee broke. The man found himself perched on the roof of his house, watching the water rise. When it covered the porch roof, a teenager in a canoe paddled toward his house.

"Get in sir, and I'll take us to safety." The boy waved with encouragement and smiled.

The man looked up at the clouds rolling overhead. He shielded his eyes, and could see the rim of red on the western horizon. The sun was setting, and he knew the darkness would bring coldness. He sighed, squared his shoulders, and replied.

"No, thank you. You take care of yourself, son. I'm trusting God to deliver me."

The boy shrugged and paddled on.

Shortly after darkness fell, the man could hear the sound of water lapping against the roof. He was sitting on the peak, and could occasionally see flickers of light reflecting off the waves. He shivered, but prayed with boldness.

"Lord, I have faith. I believe you will rescue me. I have faith, Lord."

Before even a minute had passed, he heard the sound of a boat motor. Blinking in the beam of a flashlight, the man saw a large boat. There were several life-vested people huddled inside, and two uniformed men trying to offer comfort.

One of them shouted, "Sir, jump into the water! We'll pull you out. We have blankets and it's only a couple of minutes to safety!"

"Well, thank you. But, you see, I am trusting God. God is going to rescue me. He will surely save me."

Shaking their heads, the men pulled away and faded into the night.

Darkness surrounded him again. The man shivered, pulling the hem of his coat down and tucking his hands into his pockets. The water rose quickly. Within an hour, he found himself stretching to keep his chin above water.

"Lord, save me!"

His prayer this time was not dignified. It was desperate, hurried. Within seconds, a helicopter appeared overhead. Over the thumping of the rotors, he heard a man shouting.

"Sir, we're lowering a rope. Grab hold, and we'll pull you up."

"No, I can't. I'm trusting God. I have faith. I believe."

After several minutes of fruitless pleading, the helicopter faded into the night. The water continued to rise, and the man was overcome by cold and fatigue.

In heaven, he asked the Lord...

"Lord, I don't understand. You said if we asked, if we had faith, you would help us. I prayed. I believed. And you didn't rescue me."

The Lord was sad as he replied, "Son... I heard your prayers. I did rescue you. I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more did you want?"

Obviously, this isn't scriptural or plausible. Fortunately, the point I'm trying to make is obvious. When God delivers us, He is not obligated to the use of thunder and lightning and angels. His answer may be more subtle. For me, this deliverance is coming in the form of a skilled surgeon. What have you been asking God to deliver you from? Keep your eyes open, and be prepared for the fact that your answer may not come in the packaging you expect.

Meanwhile, you can look forward to some regular old unscheduled posts just as soon as I feel up to it.