Wednesday night after we got home from our mid-week worship, I called my parents to ask my mom about my dad's health. My dad had seen a doctor the day before because he was passing blood. The doctor gave him an antibiotic and thought it would clear up the problem. It had been better earlier on Wednesday, but by Wednesday night, it was bad again. I encouraged my mom to take dad to the emergency room. Finally, he reluctantly gave in and agreed to go to the ER. I went too, but in a separate vehicle and also because we live in different towns. We got to the ER about 11:00 p.m.
Around 2:30 a.m., it was decided that Dad needed to be admitted to the hospital. The ER doctor wasn't exactly sure what the problem was, but it was apparent that the loss of blood was significant. We got Dad all settled in the room on the hospital floor about 4:30 a.m., slept an hour and a half or so, then faced the day - not knowing what would happen.
Dad was given two pints of blood that day (Friday) and had a CT scan. The suspected problem was diverticulosis and that there was a leak in the colon, seeping out the blood, but nothing was certain except that the problem was still there. Saturday, which also happened to be Dad's birthday, a colonoscopy was scheduled. Very quickly during the procedure, the doctor found a diverticulum pocket (I think that's the name) that had a tear in it, causing the blood to leak. He injected some medication and sealed the leak. So far, everything has been great since. (THANK YOU, GOD!) Dad hopes to go home in the morning. He's not one that likes to be confined to any one place and certainly not a hospital bed!
But, back to my first question of "What if?". What if, instead of being something easy to correct, Dad's problem had been something worse? What if he had been diagnosed with cancer? What if the bleeding hadn't stopped? What if the blood count had continued to go down? What if there had been no blood for him to take to replace what he had loss? There are lots of questions and lots of answers. Basically, the situation could have been a lot, lot worse. It wasn't. Thankfully.
In 1991, my dad was in that same ER and in that same hospital. That time it was worse. (Click here to read that post.) The "What ifs?" were different then. What if he doesn't make it? What if nothing they are doing can help him? Just lots and lots of situations that came up then that didn't come up this time. Thankfully.
Each and every day of our lives we can ask the question, "What if?" Some of those situations may be critical, some may not be. Some of them may be extremely important, others may not be. Some may be just speculation, such as I've been thinking about my dad's health.
But, here's another "What if?". Some day Jesus is going to return to earth. Some day God is going to judge the souls of all of us. Someday you and I will come before our Heavenly Father. He will either say, "Well done my good and faithful servant" or He will say, "depart from me, I never knew you".
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
"What if?" can be a very important question. It is a very important question in this situation. It affects where you and I will spend eternity. So, ask yourselves this question today: "What if?" What if Jesus were to come back right now? Are you ready?
1 comment:
Glad things worked out for him this time! But you're right - we are spiritual beings in physical bodies, and some day these bodies will finally give out on us. We must prepare for that day!
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