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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
We Are In Good Hands
March 1, 2007
When Keith Fontaine invited me to take part in the dedication of the new
telemetry unit at the W. W. Backus Hospital, I didn't realize that I was
going to be able to "bless" the unit with a personal visit within the next
forty-eight hours. That is exactly what happened. After experiencing some
chest pressure, dizziness and shooting pains, I landed in the emergency
room and up on E-4. I got the first class tour of the wonderful addition
and met the extremely compassionate staff. Thankfully everything turned
out all right. Two days later, after a number of tests, I was able to go
home with orders to slow down.
If you have ever been to the emergency room or admitted to the hospital
you know that at the beginning of your journey a transformation takes
place. When I entered my cubicle I was asked to remove my clothing and
put on a johnnie. From that moment on I became "the patient" and my life
was entrusted to those who were charged with patient care. A number of
nurses and physicians, patient care technicians and EMTs ministered to
my needs.
While I was sitting in my bed a number of thoughts went through my
head. I confess that I did feel a little sorry for myself. I asked the "why
me?" question. I felt a sense of loss as I anticipated how my hectic
schedule would be interrupted. I had so many plans and some of them
would have to be put on hold. I kept thinking about how much of a burden
this was putting on my wife and kids. I also felt totally helpless and alone.
Thankfully the people I met in the hospital were all so kind and many of
them greeted me with a smile. It was almost as if they knew that I needed
to see some encouraging sign that even though my world had shifted, I
was not forgotten. When the Physician came and told me I could go
home, I was beside myself with joy. I don't want to call it a conversion
experience, because only time will tell if it is real, but I came out of there
with a new lease on life. They had carried me through my crisis.
The truth is that all of us experience these types of unsettling events in our
lives. Our world is turned upside down and we are put in a position where
we have to give up control for a period of time. Our tense moment may be
because of a divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or even
like in my case, an acute health crisis. When we lose control, when we are
asking the questions, it is good to know that we are in good hands. Our
faith tells us that when we stumble or fall, God will be there to pick us up
and carry us forward.
The scriptures tell us that God will not leave us or forsake us. I am
reminded of Ruth who had no obligation to stay with her mother-in-law
after the death of her husband. Yet, she said, "Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from you. Where you go I will go and where you stay, I will
stay." Ruth was determined to walk with Naomi no matter where the
future led her. So it is with God. Whether we are sitting in a hospital bed
or on a courtroom bench, we are not alone. God sits with us. Sometimes
we see him in the human faces that minister to us. He comes disguised as
a physician, a nurse or even sometimes as a chaplain. Believe me, God will
be there. You will never be alone. So trust him. You are in good hands.
I pray that you will see him in the faces of those who minister to you in
your time of crisis and that you too will come away knowing that you
were never alone. Trust him and he will take care of you.
God bless. See you in church. Cal.
March 1, 2007
When Keith Fontaine invited me to take part in the dedication of the new
telemetry unit at the W. W. Backus Hospital, I didn't realize that I was
going to be able to "bless" the unit with a personal visit within the next
forty-eight hours. That is exactly what happened. After experiencing some
chest pressure, dizziness and shooting pains, I landed in the emergency
room and up on E-4. I got the first class tour of the wonderful addition
and met the extremely compassionate staff. Thankfully everything turned
out all right. Two days later, after a number of tests, I was able to go
home with orders to slow down.
If you have ever been to the emergency room or admitted to the hospital
you know that at the beginning of your journey a transformation takes
place. When I entered my cubicle I was asked to remove my clothing and
put on a johnnie. From that moment on I became "the patient" and my life
was entrusted to those who were charged with patient care. A number of
nurses and physicians, patient care technicians and EMTs ministered to
my needs.
While I was sitting in my bed a number of thoughts went through my
head. I confess that I did feel a little sorry for myself. I asked the "why
me?" question. I felt a sense of loss as I anticipated how my hectic
schedule would be interrupted. I had so many plans and some of them
would have to be put on hold. I kept thinking about how much of a burden
this was putting on my wife and kids. I also felt totally helpless and alone.
Thankfully the people I met in the hospital were all so kind and many of
them greeted me with a smile. It was almost as if they knew that I needed
to see some encouraging sign that even though my world had shifted, I
was not forgotten. When the Physician came and told me I could go
home, I was beside myself with joy. I don't want to call it a conversion
experience, because only time will tell if it is real, but I came out of there
with a new lease on life. They had carried me through my crisis.
The truth is that all of us experience these types of unsettling events in our
lives. Our world is turned upside down and we are put in a position where
we have to give up control for a period of time. Our tense moment may be
because of a divorce, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or even
like in my case, an acute health crisis. When we lose control, when we are
asking the questions, it is good to know that we are in good hands. Our
faith tells us that when we stumble or fall, God will be there to pick us up
and carry us forward.
The scriptures tell us that God will not leave us or forsake us. I am
reminded of Ruth who had no obligation to stay with her mother-in-law
after the death of her husband. Yet, she said, "Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from you. Where you go I will go and where you stay, I will
stay." Ruth was determined to walk with Naomi no matter where the
future led her. So it is with God. Whether we are sitting in a hospital bed
or on a courtroom bench, we are not alone. God sits with us. Sometimes
we see him in the human faces that minister to us. He comes disguised as
a physician, a nurse or even sometimes as a chaplain. Believe me, God will
be there. You will never be alone. So trust him. You are in good hands.
I pray that you will see him in the faces of those who minister to you in
your time of crisis and that you too will come away knowing that you
were never alone. Trust him and he will take care of you.
God bless. See you in church. Cal.
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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