A recent experience was bit puzzling and very interesting for me.
Anytime I get a date for surgery, my mind starts to get busy. I have a natural fear of surgery and try very hard to be calm—not always successful! I have had so much pain this past year, that I was actually looking forward to hip replacement surgery this summer. Then a sudden diagnosis of cancer sent me on a totally different path that included temporary cancellation of the hip surgery. What a disappointment! I am sure that I am not the only one to have that word—Cancer—cause concern and fear. The good news this time was that it was found very early. Still, once that word is attached to you, at least for me, it is forever in your mind—always wondering what will be next?
Last week, the day for surgery came. I was trying to remain calm, remembering to submit to God and let Him be in control, keeping my family close, knowing that many were praying for me and praying for the surgery to go well. I am so glad that I have the blessing of family and friends that are so caring and helpful and always keeping me in prayer and willing to keep me distracted enough that surgery is not what I think about as much as I have in the past. I am so thankful!
The day of surgery came. I was introduced to nurses, and more nurses and doctors and an intern and an anesthesiologist and lab technicians and other very helpful people, so many that I lost track of the number of people and their names that came to assist me through the whole process. Everyone was so caring and so helpful and willing to do what I needed. Reminds me of how we should be with people we meet and that we want to show Jesus’ love to them, to help them through to a new life in Him. God doesn’t forget names! He knows each of us and knows the help He wants us to give to each of His Patients that He has placed in our care.
Almost every surgery has certain similarities. Can't eat after midnight, take only certain meds before surgery, drink plenty of water, cleanse and shower according to instruction—the guidelines are many. Reminds me of the guidelines and rules God wants us to do to prepare for the day when He will remove and cut some away from eternal life because they did not prepare accordingly. Kind of like God’s surgery day to determine lives saved or not saved.
Step by step, the things that need to be done just before surgery time were taken care of. And apparently I wasn't even aware of a few of them. Maybe I was distracted by other things. One of the last things that was done during the surgery preparations was to put a blue "hat" on me to cover up my hair. Then I remember someone telling my husband and cousin to give me hugs and kisses and say goodbye and then apparently, they were told where to go during the time of over an hour I would be in surgery. I do remember the hugs! But NOTHING else! How did that happen with out me being aware?
The next thing I remember is pain! I had intended to tell the nurses how I needed a pillow or two under my hip and knee on the side that needs the hip surgery. But I should have made that knowledge clear from the very beginning. I waited too long! Reminds me how we can wait too long to tell God our problems and ask Him for help.
Waking up to pain isn't so fun. There was some pain from the surgery, but it wasn't too bad. The pain that wasn't so fun, was the pain from the hip and knee! Oh, how it hurt. And nothing I could do to move my leg made it feel better! I slowly became aware of people in the room. And aware that all the fluids given to me during surgery were now not needed in my body! Then slowly I started to think more clearly. The blue "hat" was removed. And my family could answer some of my questions. As I was trying to go back in time in my thinking, I realized that I had no knowledge of the last 2 hours. I had been "asleep!" A very deep sleep! No dreams. I tried to think about what I remembered. It seemed that perhaps the blue "hat" was kind of a magic hat! It was put on and then I knew nothing, and when it was removed, then I woke up from the sleep with and of no memory.
Reminds me of Adam's deep sleep creation week and of the sleep that everyone here on earth will go through as we wait for Jesus to come back! It is a sleep of no memory! Joking with me, my family wished that they could have a magic hat, too, to remove things from their memories that they don't appreciate! I do know that I am glad for my "magic hat" of no memory. I do not want to know what happened while I was in that deep sleep during the time of the surgery. I do not want to know what they did that made my leg and hip hurt so bad.
Reminds me of my parents and others that are in the deep sleep of death waiting for Jesus to come back and wake them up. They would not want to know about the events of "today" happening around them. I am okay that they are sleeping waiting to have Jesus call them to wake up! I am so glad they will wake up and find that the Master Surgeon has taken care of their worn-out bodies, cut out the diseases of sin and given them new hips and new lungs and new hearts and new body parts so that their sinful bodies are not with the "cancer" of diseases and troubles any longer. I long for the day when we no longer need earthly surgeons to fix us. We will have the Master Surgeon to fix our many problems once and for all. With cancer surgery, you always wonder, when or will it come back. With God as the surgeon, that will not be a concern anymore. There will be no more sin cancer! That makes me so thankful! And waiting for that day.
From Hat to Miracles!