4:00 am- Tudi and I left our house
5:30 am- Checked into Piedmont Hospital at
6:00-7:30 am- Prep for surgery
7:00 am- I asked lead doctor to assemble all of the team
of techs,
nurses, two doctors who would be involved
in my surgery
(about 25-30 during my
stay )
to gather for prayer before I would be put out at 7:30
7:30 am- Two different groups and a number of individuals heard
my 30 second testimony: from a broken home 4×, atheist,
read the Bible for 2+ weeks...I knew I was a sinner, confessed
Jesus as my Savior...and as He has been my
Lord for many yea
s ....I wanted to pray for this before surgery...
My Prayer...
"...I thank you God for their dedication and expertise
to help
people get well day after day...year after year
...
and God bless them I pray. I now call upon You,
the Great Physician, to guide them by His Holy Spirit
through this surgery- in the name of Jesus Christ
I pray this prayer of gratitude and faith...Amen"
A number of them wanted a wristband and...
3 FUNNY THINGS HAPPENED...
besides normal, courteous responses and one
patient,
yet irritated hospital staff member
(these comments reflect normal responses
when we share our faith in
Jesus Christ)
1-Debbie (about 50 and married) my nurse who was
much in control throughout my stay privately said to me
"YOU SURE AREN'T SHY"
...I said "Why do you say that?" She said,
"Because YOU ASKED ME SO MANY QUESTIONS...
IT WAS LIKE IT WAS OUR FIRST DATE!!!"
I cracked up to the point I was fearful I would damage
myself through the fresh incision during surgery!
2- Later Debbie also took my wristband and looked at it and said,
"I can't wear this...I'm not a sinner"
After about a minute she said,
"On second thought...I WILL put it on!"
3- Lawrence,
a very outgoing specialist...said,
"I am not of Arabia but 'I shave ya'"
We laughed and into the conversation I gave my testimony...
Lawrence then quoted some of his favorite scripture...
I saw him often as I was being prepped...
he would always point to the wristband and smile...
...to the believers I met
my testimony seemed to set them free to be alive in Christ
in the hospital environment...
Praise the Lord
BLOWN AWAY!
If someone would have asked me before going to the hospital...
"DO YOU PLAN TO PRAY WITH THE MEDICAL TEAM BEFORE SURGERY?...
'YES' WOULD HAVE BEEN MY RESPONSE.
However, if someone would have said,
"How many hospital team members do you expect to
be able to talk
to individually and collectively about faith
in Christ?" Perhaps I would have said "A FEW" -- but not 25 +!!
I'M TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY and AMAZED at WHAT HAPPENED
over the 7 hours I was in the HOSPITAL!
Only by His power, grace and mercy...
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly
than we ask or think by His power at work within us"
Before surgery: