Time for a Check Up?

I apologize for not posting more the last few days. We have had an in-law crisis and houseguests since Saturday. Things are improving a little. My neice is having surgery on her wrist Friday. It is broke in two places. Please pray for her. As always, Sista Cala has been faithful to send her Worship Wednesday post, and I actually got it posted in time! I will get back to my regular posts soon.

The other day I received a brochure regarding a Health Screening that would be available in the coming days. It was addressed to my late mother, but it was "junk mail" so I trashed it. Not long afterward, the idea for this post came to mind. I retrieved the brochure and began to read. It went something like this: Dear Mrs._____, Family Friendly Church in your city may not be the location that you typically think of for administering life saving screenings. However...

Then statistics were given as to how many people had participated in these screenings. The numbers showed a certain percentage of folks that had no symptoms yet the tests had revealed life threatening problems. The closing statement on the brochure was one encouraging the recipient to talk to their physician about these life saving screenings.

Well my friend, it touched my heart to know that these folks were interested in the well being of a woman that had been deceased since 2001. Really, I used to get upset when this sort of mail came. I would reply with a sarcastic, "if you are so interested in my mother's health, you would know that she is 100% well and walking the streets of Glory."

Now, I am sure that didn't send a good witness to them. I have asked the Lord to forgive me. It just goes to show that they really want to serve people regardless of their address. lol.

Seriously though, the local church a place for valuable life saving screens? What better place to be screened for the clogged arteries of doubt, the aneurysms about to rupture from concealed bitterness, the deep vein thrombosis of envy or greed, and the many other ravages of sin? Yes indeed, untold millions have been saved by taking advantage of these services. Many with no outward symptoms have come to know their true conditions and sought out the Surgeon of surgeons.

They have undergone life saving procedures as they have gone to the Great Physician with their test results. They have received additional instructions to prevent any recurrence of their ailments. The Doctor is always in should they need further counseling. No appointments are necessary to see Him. BTW, He is a heart doctor specializing in transplants. He is also a brain surgeon, neurologist, orthopedist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, and is an expert in all the disciplines of medicine. No wonder His references can fill the pages from Genesis to Revelation.

Do you need a check-up or a complete exchange transfusion? See the Great Physician today. He can do what no other doc can do.

The Doctor Will See You Now

The doctor will see you now" are words seldom heard today. When they are spoken the "now" hardly indicates the time you will actually be seen by the doctor. I have had enough experience lately to know how the term "patient" came to refer to the one seeking medical attention. It takes a mountain of patience to stay the course beginning with the appointment and ending with a face to face encounter with the doc.

Waiting rooms are merely a tool to compensate for the physician's limitations. He is limited as to how many patients he can see and treat within an interval of time. He is also limited by the unpredictable number of interruptions he will receive in the course of a day. And as is true for all humans, there is a limit to how much he can physically, mentally, and emotionally endure.

I am so glad that I serve a God that can be touched with the feelings of my aches and pains--a God that is never too busy, distracted, or tired to take my call. Jehovah Rapha has no secretaries or waiting rooms. No appointments are necessary to see Him. He will allow no interruptions when He is tending to my needs. I have His full attention when I talk to Him.

There is no case too hard for Him-no mutating strain(viral or bacterial) that He can not eradicate, no emotional or mental anguish He can not cure. He even knows just how to treat those ailments with no name, origin, or apparent cause. Pain is no match for Him! Psalms 103:3 makes it clear that the Lord is the one who forgives all our sins and heals ALL of our diseases.
No wonder He is called "The Great Physician".

If you have a need today, I can testify: "The Doctor will see you now". PT2006

Band Aids and Big Toes

I have a Band-Aid on my big toe. I cut it on a piece of glass in the kitchen floor from one of my many mishaps. I was thinking this morning about how we sometimes just slap a Band-Aid on things and expect that to automatically fix it good as new. Like when you say, "I'm sorry," but you don't really mean it. You just want to end the argument. Or you don't want to admit that what you said or did was that a bad. But you know what? If you don't doctor that wound, take the time to baby it a bit and keep it clean, what does it do? It gets infected. It might even fester. Ewww. It might even have to be -- gulp -- amputated like my little Maggie's toe. Sometimes even with all you do, the damage is irreversible.

It's so important to be mindful of the words we choose. In the blink of an eye we can let things slip out that we can't take back. We can try to make amends, but the memory we've impressed will always be there. I'm guilty. I've said my share of ugly things. Why is it that we seem to feel so comfortable in saying exactly what we think especially with our closest loved ones? Shouldn't we be protecting them and nurturing them? Shouldn't we esteem our spouses as parts of ourselves and realize we are only doing harm to ourselves? I'm preaching to myself here. And no, the hubby and I haven't had a knock-down-drag-out today. It's just something that's on my mind.

Marriage is WORK. (That's for the benefit of all you single guys and gals out there.) And as I've stated before, I've grown lazy in a lot of areas of my life. And why is it when we do that, when we grow a little bit apathetic and cold that we look for someone else to blame? Truth is, my husband has his faults. All husbands do. What's even more shocking is that we wives have even more--more than the gray hairs we coat with Clairol to cover them up. But does Clairol fix them? No, it HIDES them. Just like this beige piece of stretchy elastic on my toe. I can't see the wound. But it's there. Covering it up doesn't make it go away any faster. It just keeps you from seeing it.

It's only when we allow the Holy Spirit to intervene that the healing begins to occur. Sometimes it cuts deep to the heart of the matter. Sometimes it is very, very painful to get out all that festering sin. We don't want to admit that we caused a wound -- or maybe that we received a wound at someone else's hand that we can't forgive. We have to deal with these things. Slapping a Band-Aid over it doesn't cut it.

I'm convicted today -- convicted by a Band-Aid on a big toe. Doesn't God use some of the oddest things, some of the simplest things to teach us?

Wounds

Maggie (my beloved cocker spaniel) is having a toe amputated today. She split a toenail running out in the yard back in July. We took her and had it looked at, treated with antibiotics, and it got better for a bit. But it's reinfected, and the vet says it won't heal. So, we loaded her up and took her today. I hope she's okay. I about fell out when he gave me an estimate of the costs, but what do you do? Hopefully she will do okay with her surgery, and her foot will heal.

Does anyone know how to get photos out of your camera phone onto the internet. I don't have a digital camera, but I do have a camera phone, and I was thinking there HAS to be a way to do that. And maybe I could post pics of Mags and maybe a new one of myself. This blog has to be boring without pics.

Was up late last night watching a program about 9/11. It brought back so many emotions. It had only been about a month since my mother had passed away. I remembered grieving with all those families, thinking I know how you are feeling. And yet, I couldn't quite. My mom died with cancer. I was there to hold her hand. I got to say goodbye. How much more heartbreaking could it have been for those families? I'm sure it's still not easy. Remember to pray for them today. All the footage and media coverage is bound to dredge up the wounds and anger. And Lord knows, the anger needs to die.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday.