The Pain that Saved His Life
by Sharon L. Reidenbach
“Why” we ask, when a detour hits us and we
have nowhere to go, but
to stay in neutral. A year and a half ago, we
experienced this
reality. A surgeon told us my husband’s MRI
revealed a narrowing of
his lower spine. A simple cleaning out would
relieve the pain in his
hip area. Later we’d discover the “why” of his
pain and how God had
gone before us: “I have set the Lord always before
me; because He is
at my right hand I shall not be moved” (Psalm
16:8, NKJV).
As Dave [not my husband’s real name] couldn’t
walk but a block
without pain, surgery was scheduled. Then
canceled! His blood cancer
numbers had elevated off the chart!
While getting those levels down, Dave’s
tiredness and weakness
increased. We thought it was the chemo meds. But
the Oncologist said,
“No, your body should have adjusted by now.
Something else is going
on.” Then Dave began experiencing shortness of
breath. And he
continued to have pain in the area of his hip: Our
detour of blessing
in disguise, but we didn’t understand: ‘“For My
thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the
Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).
After a poor EKG, a chemical stress test
revealing global
hypokensis (all the walls of the heart were
weakened), a heart cath
was ordered in three days. We didn’t make it. He’d
overdone, and taken
to his recliner with the hip pain, and now angina
pain. I called the
ambulance: “He reached down from on high and took
hold of me; He drew
me out of the deep water” (Psalm 18:16, NIV).
God’s revelation as to
the “why” was close.
Admitted to the hospital, the scheduled
procedure took place on a
Sunday. We hoped for clogged arteries, or perhaps
a by-pass: something
to fix. But nothing was clogged, nothing to fix.
The doctor said,
“Your husband has severe heart failure, and it’s
working at only 20%.
Several years ago, a virus has attacked his
heart.” We were stunned:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
not on your own
understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths” (Proverbs 5:3). And He did.
We praise God for allowing Dave’s lower back
problem. God used it
to save his life. Otherwise his athletic training
would have told him,
“You’re out of shape. Exercise more”, resulting in
a fatal heart
attack.
If you are experiencing a difficult situation,
and can’t see the
reasoning as to the “why,” we encourage you, God
is at work, and will
ultimately reveal His plan. Have we experienced
down times?
Absolutely. But Psalm 42:5 brought us back to
reality, and we pray it
will for you: “Why, are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you
disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet
praise Him for the
help of His countenance.”
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