There are some things that get better with age.  The obvious ones you are probably thinking of are red wines, scotch, and lovely aged bleu cheese.  Tuck them away for a while, and they only get better!

Well, what about leather?  After it is worn for a while it becomes supple and soft.  And then there are blue jeans.  My husband Ted recalls new pairs of Levi’s, back in the old days, when they came stiff and dark, dark blue.  You had to wear and wash them a gazillion times before they got broken in.

Obviously, there is great wisdom in setting things aside to ‘age’ or ‘mature’ in order to make them better.

I am leaving today to attend a retreat with fifty women from my church.  Many months ago, I really didn’t want to go.  Even a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t want to go.  Today, I’m glad I am going.  I believe that sometimes we need to get away from our norm to mature a little.  Even if the getaway is for rest only, it still can make you better if it results in a renewed vigor and clearer thinking head.  My retreat includes a speaker and I know the fellowship alone will be refreshing.  There are many instances in the bible when Jesus slipped away from the crowds to spend time with his best friends.  He rested and was renewed after talking to His Father.

We are a little like fruit trees, you know.  (Yeah Laurel – your thinking IS weird sometimes – so what do you mean THIS time?)  Well, we are all growing a little bit each day and have put down roots.  We may even bear some decent fruit.  But as fruit trees are pruned and grow older while properly being cared for, they are the trees that can produce the best fruit.  So, I figure that anything we as individuals can do to improve ourselves, then we can ‘produce better fruit’ and be more helpful and resourceful to others.

In the book of Romans, Apostle Paul speaks to fellow believers he plans to visit in Rome.  He gives them instructions and asks for prayers.  He concludes in Chapter 15 with these words:  “…by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be REFRESHED.”

So take time to rest, and eat right.  Exercise helps.  And maybe even getting away now and then, even if it’s for just one night and a day, to be informed or taught something new.  Can’t hurt.   So off I go to my little mini retreat.  I’m all packed (including one little token bottle of wine for tonight).

Here’s to aging gracefully.

Cheers.

just Laurel

btw – Pop is doing well although still in the hospital.  Ted has been put in charge while I’m gone with taking my mom to visit him.  You’re in charge Teddy!  Love you.

We ALL know those familiar and sometimes irritating lyrics:  “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow.  You’re only a day away.”  Don’t get me wrong, I love the musical, “Annie.”  But when you get too many little girls screaming out the lyrics to the song “Tomorrow” it can get a little annoying.  But all opinions aside, the lyrics give a very hopeful message.  So you’ve had a bad day?  (Yeah – yeah – some of you will recognize the words in that question as lyrics to another song)  But, seriously, if you’ve had a bad day you can pretty much always count on another day to have a better day.  I can recall many days where I got nothing done, or a migraine made the day painful and challenging, or perhaps it was just one of those days when nothing went right.  Amazing what a good night’s sleep can do to wake you refreshed and newly charged to face a brighter day.

In the continuing saga of my Pop’s recovery from his surgery on Monday, today was a much better day.  Yesterday, it was very disheartening to see him so confused and restless as his body tried to come out of his anesthesia and drug fog.  My mom and I could do nothing to help him and we finally went home, feeling helpless and sad.  Today, Pop was sitting up in a chair and eating lunch.  He had taken a short walk in the hall and conversation with him was normal and appropriate, although a little delayed and slow.  The poor man had open heart surgery just three days ago.  I think he’s allowed to be a bit slow.  It will take a little time to get up to speed.

What a difference a day makes!

There’s a song from the 1930’s sung by Dinah Washington titled “What a Difference a Day Made.”  The lyrics include these:  “What a diff’rence a day made.  Twenty-four little hours; brought the sun and the flowers.  Where there used to be rain.”  Perhaps the 30’s version of “Tomorrow?”  ha-ha  But the message is the same.  Perhaps today is stormy – figuratively or literally.  Tomorrow may just bring some sunshine.

My favorite ‘tomorrow’ story?  I think of Jesus’ followers who were so anguished to see Him die on that cross.  They saw his broken and dead body placed in a tomb.  I can’t imagine the grief, anguish, and mourning they suffered the day after Jesus’ crucifixion.  And then I think of the never-dreamed-of Sunday morning when they discovered an empty tomb!  My how their hearts must have beaten with restrained joy as they waited to be sure that He had risen.

Life can change overnight, so they say.  How true.  They also say that time heals all wounds.  I guess for as long as you are alive, time keeps moving and there is always a tomorrow for things to change – for better or for worse.  But if you don’t like the way things are today, you can be sure of change and you can be sure of a tomorrow.

It’s only a day away.

Lamentations 3:22-23  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

just Laurel

If you’ve been reading my blog than you know that my dad had open heart surgery yesterday.  He was totally asleep when we saw him post-op yesterday.  We heard via phone call to the nurse last night that he woke up very confused and combative.  For the nurses taking care of him, I was very sad that the impression they initially got from my dad was one of a confused old man who could really throw a punch.  I hope not.  I would think that confusion and aggression like this was often seen by the nurses in anesthetized patients post-op.  My dad is really a gentle, funny, and very sociable man.  His post-surgical crazy behavior was only temporary and I hoped it would not give a false first impression of what kind of patient my dad was going to be.

Several years ago I worked as a nurse in our local hospital.  Every morning I would get report from the night nurse about the patients I would take over for the day.  It always made me angry when the report on the physical state of the patient included comments on how “demanding the patient was” or how I should “watch out for that patient’s family, they are really nasty” or how the patient in room 405 “was always bugging me for his pain medication.”  I didn’t want this other nurse’s negative impression to taint my relationship with my new patient.  For the targeted bad patient, I would make a point of going into their room with a smile and would take the time to listen to their needs.  I usually ended up doing just fine with the so-called trouble-maker patient.  If they were in pain, all they simply wanted was their regularly scheduled dose of pain medication.  That didn’t seem like a huge request.  And most families just wanted a listening, sympathetic ear from me.  I promised them that I would be around to help as best I could and I usually had no problems for the rest of the day with my needy patient or their family.

Yesterday when I was waiting around with my Mom and Pop for Pop to get registered before surgery, we casually chatted with another patient sitting close-by.  A woman, one of the registration clerks, walked past us and the patient I was chatting with said to me, “Oh boy, there goes miss personality.”  Well, the woman was scowling and looked like she was all business.  I was determined to get through her hard façade!  Wouldn’t you know it; we got called to her little cubicle.  She quickly and efficiently asked my folks questions and pounded the answers into her keyboard.  There was a question for me (that I can’t even remember) but what I do remember is that she asked me and I started to answer then paused.  This forced her to take a break from her all-business keyboard hammering and look at me.  Once eye contact was made I smiled really big and gave an answer to her query.  Guess what?  She smiled back!   It was like she melted a little and that tough façade broke down just a bit so I could see a sliver of a happy registrar.

My point is simply this.  We often don’t know what is going on in another person’s life.  Is physical pain making them short tempered and cranky?  Are they simply not feeling well; perhaps tired or sick?  Maybe they are short-handed at work and have twice the number of patients to register.  There may be a sadness or challenge they are facing that they are trying to cover up with a hard and mean façade.  But to fight the angry negativity with more of the same will only make things worse.  A little compassion, a warm smile, or an ounce of patient understanding is like a salve to someone else’s pain.  We’ve all had our turns at a bad day.  We don’t mean to act nasty or short-tempered.  If we are fed more negative responses and behavior it only makes things worse.  Remember the days when someone gave you a smile or a kind word that was like psychological triple-antibiotic lotion on your bad mood?

I’m just saying.

John 7:24  Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

just Laurel

It was an “I didn’t realize” kind of day.

My Pop had his surgery today.  The aortic valve in his heart had to be replaced and there was one bypass that needed to be done.  I had to pick my parents up at their house at 4:45am.

I didn’t realize until last night that meant setting my alarm for 3:45 in the morning.  I had to shower, get ready, and drive to Rockwood in an hour!  It was an easy drive because …

I didn’t realize how few people were on the roads at that hour of the morning.  We got to the hospital in plenty of time, only to join a lobby full of people who were also having surgery.  I guess …

I didn’t realize that Mondays are a popular day to have surgery.  They say that it isn’t good to have surgery late in the week and risk having your surgeon leave for the weekend and be stuck in the hospital.  We had to wait.  And wait.  And wait for Pop’s turn to be registered.  My mom,

She didn’t realize that when you are at the hospital you have to wait for everything.  Wait your turn, wait for your x-ray, wait for your doctor, wait for your lunch, wait to be discharged, and wait for your surgery.  Pop finally got registered then taken back while we waited for them to prep him.

Pop didn’t realize that they were going to put a multi-lumen, massive I.V. in his neck as well as 2 in his arm.  By the time they let us see him the anesthesiologist had already given him some happy juice in his I.V.  Pop didn’t care about all his I.V.’s.  Then off he went to surgery and off we went to … wait.  The waiting room was fairly pleasant with nice seating.

I didn’t realize how uncomfortable those pretty chairs could get after several hours.  At 11 o’clock we finally got an update on my dad’s surgery and were told that he was doing great and they were half done with his valve replacement.  Off to lunch my mom and I went.  We were ready for a break from our waiting.

I didn’t realize how familiar the cafeteria was going to be.  I had spent quite a bit of time during nursing school at this hospital and this was my first time back in years.  I kept looking for my nursing school classmates.  After lunch we got to sit and wait some more.  About five hours after starting the surgery, it was finally over and the doctor came to give us his report.  Valve replacement went well, bypass done, but what

he didn’t realize was that my Pop had a hole in his heart between the right and left atrium.  It never showed up on previous scans.  Pop is a lucky man that they found it and closed it right up.  Another hour went by and we were finally able to go see Pop in his room.  All the doctor and nurses,

they didn’t realize how easily my dad gives in to anesthetic.  Pop was fast, fast asleep.  He didn’t blink an eye or move a finger while we were there.  Mom and I were weary and decided he was in good hands and that we’d go home.  My mom called later to check on my dad.  He had started to wake up.  The poor nurse

she didn’t realize how strong my dad was.  He woke up confused and combative.  He was probably uncomfortable, disorientated, in pain, and maybe even a little scared and would not lay still.  I wish I would have been there.  Maybe I could have helped calm him down.

But despite all the things I didn’t realize, or weren’t realized by others, I can say that there is much to be realized.

I realize that modern medicine where they can repair holes, change the plumbing in people and replace valves is amazing.  But even better,

I realize that the caring friends and family I have are a precious gift.  My pop’s niece and nephew sent special thoughts and prayer, and friends and family from all over sent precious messages on Facebook and prayed for Pop.  The thoughtful messages were like little bursts of encouragement.  And I know that all of you have friends and family that need prayers as well.  So we all post our needs and ask for help and how fantastic is it that we can all help each other?

Matthew 25:34-36  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

BTW:  Keep praying for Dawn and her family.

BTW I didn’t realize how awfully tired I am and what a tough time I had finishing this blog!

just Laurel

At work today one of my co-workers happened to glance out the window and glimpsed a car pull into our parking lot with an official seal on the car door.  Her face suddenly went white as she said, “Oh no is that car from the state?”  I responded with a quizzical look.  “We got inspected a couple weeks ago and they must be back,” she explained.

My whole work place went into a mode of hushed panic as everyone scrambled to make sure things were put right.  It must be like the feeling a restaurant owner gets with a surprise visit from the health inspector.

I can’t imagine that my place of work has any violations against them.  Ever since becoming an employee of this surgical center I have been nothing short of impressed with the attention to cleanliness and sterility that happens daily.  The floors are mopped daily, the privacy curtains are washed regularly, the walls are washed weekly, and all surfaces are wiped down as soon as they are touched.

Apparently, the state inspector had returned to go over issues from the latest inspection and was taking a look around again today.  Everyone scrambled to tidy up.  There is a room outside the operating rooms where the doctor who was working today had a travel mug with hot tea in it.  I guess that’s a no-no and someone quickly took the mug away.  Later, when the doctor was finished, he came out and announced with some irritation that “Someone took my mug of tea.”  The head nurse told him in a hushed tone that “The state is here and we had to remove your mug of tea.  We poured out the tea and put the mug in your locker.”  “Ohhh,” the doctor replied with understanding.  In the recovery area where I work, cupboards and drawers were quickly checked and someone suggested I remove the bag of throat lozenges I had placed in one drawer a few weeks back when I needed them for a cough.  “Why?” I asked.  “Because we aren’t supposed to have food in this area,” was the response I got.  “Cough drops aren’t food,” I replied with a giggle.  I was told to put them away just in case.  The funniest part though, was this.  Our building has a flat roof and, despite roof repairs a year ago, occasionally water gets through and we have areas with some dripping.  With all the snow and rain we’ve had lately, well, we had a dripping spot in the recovery area that we had a bucket sitting under to catch the drips.  Better to have a bucket in the middle of the floor than to have people slipping on a wet spot.  Thanks to the state inspector being in the building, the bucket got quickly put away.  Every minute or so, a drop of water would form and hang from the ceiling, then finally fall.  I took upon the task of watching the ceiling and with a rolled paper towel in hand  I would stand on tip toe and reach up to grab that drop of water before it left the ceiling.  Honestly.

The bible tells us that when Jesus comes again we “Must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”  (Luke 12:40)  Well I certainly hope I will be ready for that surprise visit – and without all the panic!  The way everyone scrambled today in fearful intimidation was almost comical.  But seriously, it was good to know that my place of work is so concerned with protocol and policy.  Now for Jesus’ return?  Ha!  I’m not going to be worrying about the roof leaking.

But I’m going to be ready 🙂

Just Laurel

btw – Meijer had Xanthan Gum (in case you read yesterday’s blog).  They had a large bag by Bob’s Red Mill for $11.99 (ouch) and the one I bought was a small bag by Hodgson Mill for 99 cents.  Yeah!  Tomorrow I bake the Potato Bread!  Stay tuned.

I had a busy day at work.  We had a lot of patients which means lots of cataract surgeries today.  Like most people about to have a surgical procedure, our patients are instructed not to eat or drink anything after midnight the evening before their surgery.  We use local anesthetic with I.V. sedation so it is best to keep an empty stomach.  After surgery, we offer juice or water to drink.  The majority of patients lust for coffee.  Oh I know what it’s like to try to start your day without a good, hot cup of coffee.  And because we begin the surgery day so early, many patients leave us and go straight to the coffee shop or breakfast place to get a hearty cup of caffeine and breakfast on the side.  I totally understand.

One of my last patients of the day was yearning for his coffee.  He told me he was up early because he couldn’t sleep.  He explained how his coffee maker was all set up and ready to go.  He kept walking past it with a burning desire to reach out with his finger and push that start button to brew his pot of coffee.  It was driving him crazy!

So it made me think of buttons.  And of pushing buttons.  When my daughters were young, it was always a race to see who would get to the elevator buttons and push that coveted ‘up’ or ‘down’ button first.  In 1993, a film version of the Dennis the Menace comic strip character has squirmy little Dennis trying to sit still while at the neighbor’s house while eying a button that he is just dying to push.  Yes he pushes it.  And yes, it causes a disaster.  There is that button on top of a desk top bell that you ring for service.  Most people can’t resist pressing that one.  Upon searching I found this interesting button-pushing experiment where,to launch the high quality TV channel TNT in Belgium a big red push button was placed on an average Flemish square of an average Flemish town. A sign with the text “Push to add drama” invited people to use the button. Here’s what happened…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw

There is so much power in the push of a button!  I can push a button and make toast, start my coffee maker, unlock my car doors, text and dial on my phone, start my dishwasher, choose ice or water from my refrigerator door, change the radio station, take a picture, and so much more.  Amazing, isn’t it?

But for all that we can accomplish with the push of a button, why is it so hard NOT to push the button?  I suppose it all goes back to the Garden of Eden when man was told he couldn’t do something – eat from the tree of life.  Of course we want what we are told we can’t have.  Like a little child who is told “don’t” do something, we are innately programmed to want to do the opposite.  Buttons are for pushing and we want to have the gratification of the results of that push – whether we know what to expect or not.  My dear patient wanted his coffee and he knew he could have it at the push of a button.

Keep track tomorrow of how many buttons you push each day.  You may be surprised.  And I bet you even raced at least once in your lifetime to be the first to push that elevator button.  Such power we have at the tips of our fingers.  My advice is to make sure you always know what you’re pushing.

You don’t want to push the wrong buttons!

Just Laurel

So, how many of you went to “HowManyOfMe.com” after reading yesterday’s blog?  My husband Ted reads my blogs, but many times he doesn’t get to them until a day or two after I write them.  He was driving to Indiana today when he called me.  Apparently, he had made a stop on his drive and had checked his email, including reading my blog from yesterday.  Because he was back on the road driving, he wanted me to check on his name at the website.  He told me he wanted to be unique.  He was hoping he was the only one with his name.  (“Oh you are the only one like you, Theodore,” I said to myself.  “There can’t be another one” I mused.)

Here’s what I found out.  There are 193,948 people in the U.S. with the first name of ‘Theodore’ and less than 117 with the last name ‘Greshel.’  Compared to there being only 37,843 ‘Laurel’s’ I could win this one and say that I was more unique then Ted.  But our combined first and last name brought up the same result – there is only one of each of us!  For comparison, if you were a John Smith, you share your name with 45,559 other people!

Who doesn’t want to be unique?  I looked the word up and found that “unique” is a French word from the Latin unicus, from unus:  one.  Hmm.  I see a unicorn there.  Synonymous with the word “unique” is:  sole, unequaled, peculiar, unusual, patented, and individual.  I think I know a lot of unique people.

I did not find the word ‘unique’ in the bible, but found one passage with its synonym ‘unequaled’:

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 ¹⁰ Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. ¹¹ He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, ¹² and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Yep, Moses was one unique guy!

I believe that there really are no two people alike.  Oh you may have a twin out there in the world somewhere or you very likely share a same name with someone.  You may have someone you like and admire and strive to be like.  Here’s what Walt Disney said about being unique:  “The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.”

I think my point here is that we are all unique and wonderful.  Why would God make us all so different if he wanted us to be the same?  If you’ve been reading my blogs for a time, you may know how much I love Beth Moore Ministries and the wonderful writing that she does.  I want to be like Beth Moore!  But in one of her studies she wrote:  “Trust God!  He is busy making you someone no one else has ever been.”  I wrote that down on an index card and use it as a book mark.

It’s the similarities we share with each other that help us form a common bond and establish friendships due to mutual interests.  It is the differences that keep things colorful and exciting as we embrace each and everyone’s uniqueness.  Do you remember Fred Rogers from the Mr. Rogers children’s show?  I think he said it best all the time:  “I like you just the way you are!”

You are you-nique!

Just Laurel

My dad (aka:  Pop) had a heart catheterization this week.  He needs surgery to replace the aortic valve in his heart.  It’s okay – he’s in good health and the surgeon thinks Pop will do just fine with the surgery.  There is a new heart valve that the doctor wants to use that is actually still under trial in the United States, although twenty thousand of them have already been used in Europe.  I was researching the valve today to find out more about it.  I find it humorous that this valve is called the “Freedom Solo” valve.  What a funny name for a heart valve.  What will he be free from?  And why will he be by himself afterwards – solo?

When I first googled ‘freedom solo’ I was further amused to have two different products appear in my search results.  There was the Freedom Solo Heart Valve and the Freedom Solo Canoe by Mad River Canoe Company.  I took the descriptions for each and reversed them – and it worked!  Substituting valve for canoe, and with a little re-wording I found that both marketing descriptions worked for either product!  First, here’s the canoe description – changed for the benefit of marketing a heart valve:

Care-free durability meets unrivaled versatility in this ultimate solo heart valve. A versatile valve, this Freedom Solo Valve is capable of allowing you to track across the flats as well as play havoc in whitewater. Head out with a week’s worth of camping gear, stopping to play in the whitewater rapids along the way with this durable, yet stiff Freedom Solo Valve.  Unique from other valves, it features a solid, stable platform for regulating, lacking the twitchiness that is characteristic of others in its class. Comfortable for beginners yet rewarding for accomplished hearts, the Freedom Solo is worth getting to know.

Ha!

And now here is the heart valve description, changed up a bit to market a canoe:

Freedom Solo Canoes perform well under exercise thanks to the absence of any rigid frame and minimal paddling.  Freedom Solo offers a fast and complete recovery of the overturned canoe and restores the canoe function fast and effectively.  Freedom Solo behaves like a normal healthy canoe with native-like performance.

So, Pop, you will be paddling your canoe in no time once you get your very own Freedom Solo!

After further investigation, I found several other same-name products – some you know and probably didn’t realize.  How about Dove soap – and Dove Chocolate?  I like the idea of chocolate soap – but soap flavored chocolate?  There is Finlandia cheese and Finlandia Vodka.  Ah – now that’s a nice pair!  Delta is a name for an airline, dental insurance, and a faucet company.  Michigan rooted Domino’s Pizza shares its name with Domino Sugar – I can’t see blending those two.

And of course there are people who share the same name.  In fact, my Pop recently found out that his primary care doctor has another patient with the same name as Pop’s.  They will be using his middle initial now in all paperwork.  If you go to HowManyOfMe.com you can see how many people share your name.  I found out that there are 37,843 people in the U.S. with the first name “Laurel.”  There are 45 people in the U.S. who share my Pop’s name:  Paul Rausch.  (Go ahead and try it – I know you will!)

I don’t think the surgeon will mix things up and replace Pop’s old valve with a canoe.  Duh.  And if you share your name with someone else – don’t worry.  God can tell us apart.  Like the song says, “He knows my name.”

I have a Maker; He formed my heart.
Before even time began my life was in his hands

I have a Father; He calls me His own.
He’ll never leave me; No matter where I go.

He knows my name. He knows my every thought.
He sees each tear that falls and He hears me when I call.

I just love that song!

just Laurel

“All right, let’s not panic. I’ll make the money by selling one of my livers. I can get by with one.”
Homer Simpson

I really didn’t panic.  In my quick stop home before leaving the house again, I grabbed the mail from the mailbox.  Most of the mail got torn up and trashed.  Mostly junk mail and no magazines today.  Oh … here’s the gas and electric bill.  Gulp.  Yeah, it’s been Michigan-cold here and those bills can get a little scary.  Well, let me just take a quick look before I leave.  Tearing them both open, I laid them side by side.  Oh my.  Was it really that cold last month?  Quickly adding in my head, and then adding in another hundred or so more and we’d be 4 digits big.  What??  In a daze, I left the house thinking I would be asking Ted for extra money to pay those bills.  And then I couldn’t stop thinking.  There’s no way.

Later, Ted called and we chatted about the day.  As usual, he asked, “Did we get any mail?”  “Oh yeah,” I replied, “Guess what our gas and electric bill total was?”  His guess was way off.  He couldn’t believe it either.  Then he reminded me that the bills were basically for the month of January when we were not even home.  The heat had been turned down and we had spent the month in the hospital with Amanda.  How could our bills be so big?  I told Ted he’d have to take a look and puzzle it out later.

“Two frogs fell into a bowl of cream. One didn’t panic, he relaxed and drowned. The other kicked and struggled so much that the cream turned to butter and he walked out.”  Author Unknown

I could not wait until later.  So, I pulled out the previous month’s bills and sat down to scrutinize them.

Ah-ha!  Big light bulb moment!  I paid last month’s bills but apparently, the energy company did not receive my payments.  After double checking via on-line banking I discovered that the check still had not cleared.  Thanks to modern technology, I quickly logged on to the energy company website and was going to pay last month’s bills.  But the website did not say I owed last month’s bills.  So confusing!!  I finally had a ‘live chat’ with a representative who let me know that last month’s heat and electric had been paid and that all was well.  Hmm.  They must have FINALLY received my check.

In the book of 1 Samuel, the Philistines capture the ark of God.  God was not pleased and verse 9 says that:  “the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great PANIC, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out upon them.”

I really didn’t panic.  But a gas and electric bill that size was going to require some transferring of funds, or even the sale of a kidney.  Fortunately, I persisted and figured it out right away.  Reacting in a panic would not have been very constructive – it gave the Philistines tumors!  So, just a little advice next time you want to totally freak out and panic about something – don’t.

Just Laurel

The last surgery of the day at work was an hour-long procedure for glaucoma involving implanting a valve in the patient’s eye.  (I know you just blinked and thought “Ow – how can they do such a thing??”)

My job at work is helping patients on the recovery end of the surgical experience.  The majority of our patients get cataract surgery and since that surgery takes seven to fifteen minutes (depending on the surgeon) I am busy with patient after patient and without any time to see what others are doing.  Well today, all of the patients were done and gone except for this last one.  We were kind of standing around waiting when one of the operating room techs asked if I wanted to watch the surgery.  “Yes!!”

I only got to watch through the glass of the door.  I would have had to scrub and don sterile garb if I wanted to enter the room.  BUT – even though the surgeon was busy working on his patient through the eyes of his microscope, I could watch the procedure on the big screen tv in the room.  Wow!  On the screen, the patient’s eye was the size of a small watermelon.  With a clamp holding back the upper and lower lids, the surgeon was meticulously putting stitches in the patient’s eye.  Yes – stitches.  In their EYE!  What looked like a fair size surgical needle was probably the size of an eyelash.  And the material he used to stitch with – I was in awe thinking of how very fine and yet intensely strong the thread must be that he could stitch and knot without it breaking.  Obviously, these stitches were not going to be removed down the road, so they had to be a material that would eventually dissolve as well.  I was thoroughly amazed at the marvels of modern medicine that could allow surgeons to implant valves and actually stitch an eyeball.  I wonder who put their hand up and volunteered for that surgery the first time it was done.  And what a benefit to be able to see the whole thing on a big screen tv.

As I thought later about my eye surgery observation, it made me think about this bible passage:

Matthew 7: 3-5 ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Psalm 44:21 says that God knows the secrets of our hearts.  He is like the surgeon who knows us inside and out, and intimately as well, down to the secrets we keep hidden in our hearts.  He knows the good and the wicked.  He has the microscopic view.  But how often do we hide the negative, doubting, or sinful stuff and then quickly turn and call our brother bad and a sinner?  Maybe if God put our hearts on the big screen, we’d have a better picture of our own weaknesses and faults.  It may make us less likely to judge, and more likely to show compassion.

Then this all made me think – even though God has the microscopic view of our hearts, thank goodness He DOESN’T project it on the big screen.

I think that would be a film we wouldn’t want others to see!

Just Laurel