I prayed all of the way to the Loma Linda VA Hospital. I
was so worried my 90 year-old step father might not have a relationship with
the Lord. As it turns out, he had a few things to teach me!
Welcome to Coffee Hour at Chicklit Power and Megan’s
Monday Mantra with Trench Classes United.
The evening before his out-patient surgery, my step
father called to ask me if I would drive him home after his procedure. He was
going to the VA Hospital to have a few biopsies taken from his bladder to
determine if he had cancer. He was going to be given a general anesthesia, so
he would not be permitted to leave without a driver. I told him I would meet
him at there at 6:40 am so I could be there for both his pre-op preparation and
when he got out of surgery.
In the back of my mind I kept wondering, “Does my step
father have a relationship with the Lord, and if not, what would be the best
way to introduce him to Him?” So, as we
ended our conversation, I told him I would say a prayer for him. Throughout the
next morning, I kept throwing out “feelers,”
sharing how Mom and I had done Bible Studies together, the many ways I was
blessed by the Lord during my lung cancer experience, and how grateful I am to
have a husband who is a man of God. But, I didn’t receive any tangible bites ….
Until after surgery in recovery!
Even though I realize the lingering effects of
anesthesia, I was amazed by my step-dad’s attitude. He was upbeat and pain free
– and the stories started to flow!
This man has faced death more times than a cat with nine
lives! When he was three years old, his parents got killed in a car wreck. At
twelve years old, he got bone cancer in his jaw. For three years he was given
heavy pain medications, including heroin. He told me he had never felt anything
more painful in his life than his bone cancer. In WWII, the bomber plane he was
flying in crashed. Almost everyone was critically wounded and his buddy next to
him was killed instantly, but he walked away unscathed. He made a living owning
and running bars in Long Beach, California. Four times, during his career, he
was held up, with a gun pointed to his head!
His perspective… “I am not afraid of death. I have faced
death’s door many times, and I am still alive. Why? Because the “Man Upstairs”
has not said it’s time yet. People die from many different things and at many
different ages. No one is exempt. The only consistent contributing factor is
God. He is the one who determines when it’s time to go.”
We receive God’s grace and blessings when
our attitude towards Him is one of high esteem and reverence. I believe
my step-father has a healthy dose of reverence for the Lord.
Your comments are always most welcome.
Lovingly in Christ,
Megan
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