Back From The Present- My Wake Up Call

Throughout my life there have been times where danger lurked in unexpected area’s and I had to push the pause button to refocus on the things that are most important to me. To my readers, I apologize about my short hiatus. I have been so busy, trying to work hard at my day job and even harder on my blog. The stress of work, parenthood, losing my father a couple of months ago, along with a few health issues and too much caffeine through my core out of balance. Recently, I spent some time in the hospital from everything going on in my personal life. Because of this, I was forced to take a quick break from my blog.

As I sat in the room of the hospital with EKG’s and IV’s attached to me, I laid back for a while and just thought about the simpler times in life. The times when things were not as serious. I thought about my childhood, when life was less stressful regarding responsibilities. Time seemed so much slower. The world was less complex than today with smart phones and social media. With my loving wife by my side, it was surreal me being in that position. I felt scared, anxious, and not in control of anything. I started to think of something that I feel we all need to be aware of.

Self-sufficiency has real limitations. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that we need to work hard and be ambitious. As important as that is, I do believe that there are times in life when we need to realize that we cannot do it all on our own merits. As a Christian man, I do believe what the Bible says in Philippians chapter 4 which states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I also know that there are times when God give’s us a wake up call to get our attention. This was one of those times for me.

As I waited anxiously for the results of the tests to come back on my heart, it seemed as if the minutes and seconds took an eternity. Honestly I am not a fan of doctor’s and hospital’s, so the fact that I drove myself there and checked myself in was a big step for me. I am a pretty stubborn guy, so it has to be something really wrong for me to check into the emergency room. I laid back in the hospital bed, still in my work attire because I left work early to check into the ER.

As each nurse came in, my heart rate would raise. Then as they encouraged me, it would fall again. Soon the doctor would come in and tell me that all of my tests came back normal, and gave me recommendations on things that I can do to become a healthier person. I praised God, kissed my wife, and was able to be discharged. When I saw my 4 children again, I kissed them and they hugged me and asked me how I was doing. I looked into their innocent faces, and realized just how fragile our bodies are.

I am writing this post because I know how powerful God is. I know that He is a healer. This is my testimony. He is the great comforter. He allows doctors and nurses to obtain their positions. He gives them the knowledge to do their work and help people, even save the lives of some patients. I believe that when we realize the limitations of self-sufficiency, it forces us to rely on something bigger than ourselves. Bigger than our work, and larger than our agenda. I am grateful for my life.

I just wanted to take a brief moment to share a wake up call with you. I don’t know what you may be going through right now, but God does. I know that life can be hard at times, but it is only temporary. I know that anxiety and suicidal thoughts are real. Remember, you are not supposed to be the victim but the victor in your situation. Is God trying to get your attention like He was mine? Do you need a moment to pause, pivot, and refocus on Him and what is really important like family, friends, and taking care of yourself?

Remember, your body is a temple. God gave it to you to be a good steward over it and take great care of it. This is a simple reminder that you cannot take care of anyone else if you do not take care of yourself, and that is not selfish at all. Take that vacation, enjoy some time off work. Do not let anyone make you feel like you are less of a person because you want to take time to invest in your most important asset, yourself! Please use my situation this past week and learn from it. I surely have. I wish you all nothing but love, peace, and happiness. Remember, “never let life dictate how far you can make it”.

V.R.