Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Write something AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL (10/02/14)
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TITLE: Waters, Rivers and Fire | Previous Challenge Entry
By Stanley McMahon
10/07/14 -
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But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.”
To be honest, I was a bit taken aback by them. They were familiar enough, but as I thought about them I confessed to the Lord that I could not understand the relevance of them to my life in that moment, but I thanked the Lord for His promise nonetheless and, if I am honest, hoped that I would not have to depend upon it.
As I met my wife at her workplace, I was complaining of a bit of a fever and what felt like heartburn and I asked her for a simple remedy, which she normally carries around with her. On this occasion, she had nothing, but the sensation was short-lived and soon forgotten about.
Later that night, about four o’clock in the morning, I felt nausea, and a pain in my abdomen. Not wanting to disturb my wife I got and made a cup of tea, but still felt no better. On returning to the bedroom, I shared my concern with her and asked her to feel my abdominal region. At one point, I nearly jumped out of my skin with the sharpness of the pain. We decided that the best thing to do would be to visit the hospital and get it checked out.
So we joined the others whose nights of sleep had been disturbed and were both entertained and saddened by the antics of the drunks who were sporting bruises and facial injuries from Saturday night brawling. That experience lasted five hours, by the end of which I was given a thorough investigation and sent home with antibiotics for a chest infection and told that I had had some constipation.
The ensuing hours of Sunday were full of sleeping and shivering and just feeling bad with a constant temperature and a dull abdominal pain. The next morning I woke up feeling a bit better so I dressed to go to work and decided to walk the dog first. Bad idea. It turned out I just was not feeling up to it. I was weak and still had the pain. I decided not to go to work.
I continued to sleep morning and afternoon. I just could not keep my eyes open. In the afternoon I spoke to a local doctor by phone and after some questioning and investigation, her conclusion was that I needed to go and see her. Although she had no appointments available, she would fit me in.
After two hours waiting, she decided I needed to go back to hospital and get a scan. She was not happy with the initial diagnosis. More waiting, answering questions, doctors, consultants, poking and prodding. Hours later I was admitted to the same hospital where I had originally gone, now two days prior. The outcome was that the surgeon decided I should have a CT scan and that I probably had a burst appendix.
As I write this I am still recovering. I had indeed had a burst appendix and I spent the following days having antibiotics pumped through my body day and night to combat the contamination. I became aware that my life had been spared and that a series of good choices had been instrumental in saving my life. Hundreds of people had been praying for me. The Lord had been with me in an incredible way. I had not been overwhelmed, nor burnt by the experience. I had been created, formed, redeemed, and summoned by name. I belong to the Lord.
It has been an emotional experience for me, but it seems to have brought me to a place of thankfulness. I am thankful for His hand on my life; thankful for my wife and my family and I am thankful for my local church and the wider church. I am thankful for His life in me and look forward to what He will do next with me.
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