MAJOR EVENTS! 8/14/10

THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I have experienced major events. As a kid just about everything out of the ordinary was a major event. When it comes to sports I witnessed my brothers and years later my grandsons excel in this arena of major events. Life is full of major events and many times we accept these occasions with a oh hum and move on. Once in a while one of these events causes us to set up and take notice. I know you all have been there in one way or another.

FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS I have witnessed many of my siblings go through difficulties that are best described as major health events. About seven years ago my son Danny experienced a huge event and two years ago I experienced a similar one. This week Jim went out on a limb and confided in his Doctor and has just experienced one of those same kind of events. Heart issues!

WHILE OUT WALKING this last Tuesday Jim experienced an episode. Two hours later he experienced another one exactly like the first except this time he was sitting in his chair. While at a routine follow up visit with his Doctor that same afternoon, Jim shared with him these two episodes and within two hours found himself in the hospital.

AFTER MUCH TESTING and finally an Angiogram, Jim had a stint put in his left major artery that was 95% blocked. I would say this was a major event, wouldn't you? That procedure was successful after several tries; however, they couldn't put the plug in where the catheter entered because the hole was to large. Jim had to wait in ICU and then the tubes, etc were removed only to find that a tiny aneurism was causing a problem.

AFTER SEVERAL days of trying to stop the leakage, no matter how small, was a trying ordeal. To operate or not to operate, that was the question. We finally were able to take Jim home without added surgery. Praise God!

I RECENTLY READ that we should endure the aches and pains of our body with patience. This is something that we should do also with our spiritual afflictions. Many times troubles come our way that we have no control over. Andrae Crouch's song helps me to put into perspective troubles that come. "I thank God for the mountains and I thank Him for the valleys; I thank Him for the storms He brought me through; For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know that he could solve them; I'd never know what faith in God could do!"

WHEN WE REALIZE that God will not remove us from the pain and suffering but will walk along side us as we go through it, we are lifted higher and higher than we ever thought possible. Many times we think we are walking with God and we should, but when we realize that He is walking with us, it puts us on a different playing field. We discover that when it doesn't turn out exactly like we thought it would or wanted it to; God has shown us His way.

I KNOW I HAVE used this passage many times but then it is one of my favorites. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

WE HAVE EXPERIENCED many new emotions this week! We looked at each other with different eyes! These things come to us each time someone we love is hurting and suffering. Let us never forget the comforter is ours, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

GOD HAS GIVEN us experiences so that we may help others who will walk through the same things we have walked through. Let us help one another! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/13/10