Stories

Her brain surgery had left most of her head shaved, a long scar made its way across the top of her bald head, staples kept everything in place. The swelling made it impossible for me to guess her age or even if she was aware that I was there. But the man in the room with her appreciated a few words and a prayer. I saw him later in the cafeteria. He was eating alone and I stopped and asked if the patient was his wife. He told me that the woman was his daughter. In her early 40s, she went into the hospital on a day in December. The doctors discovered a brain aneurysm. Surgery, followed by physical therapy, insurance troubles, finally home for a few days in January. Unfortunately she had another brain aneurysm and more surgery. I'm telling you generally what happened. Her father knew dates, places, times, locations of therapy, costs per day ... the small details. It was their story, and they were living it moment by moment. Because life had fallen apart, nothing else mattered very much. What's your story? Can you tell it with precision? Yes, the dates are ingrained on your heart ... at least the important ones. You remember the details, even the ones you wish you could forget. The first time you heard, "I want a divorce". The blaring siren as the ambulance pulled into the driveway. The smell of the smoke arising from what used to be your home. The notice from the insurance company saying that you were not covered for that medical condition. Pushing the brake pedal all the way to the floor, the inability to stop, and the split second sound of metal crashing into metal. The call from the police station that your daughter has been arrested. These are so stamped into your memory that they bring up vivid memories just to read about them. They are part of your story. They make your story significant. The unseen element in the memory of our stories is the divine presence. We make reference from time to time, just to assure ourselves (and Him) that we haven't forgotten. But who can tell where God is while we're living each moment? It is usually only by looking back that we can see how God has provided. But we shouldn't think that we are smart enough to see it all. Perhaps God is still answering the prayers of your grandparents ... and who would know it beside Him. Even when we can detail everything that has happened there is more. So when life seems to fall apart on us ... let's remember that there is much going on that we are unable to detect on our own. God is not far away nor is He uninvolved. He's been moving in your life today. He doesn't create your story, but He is the main character.