“It’s OK, Nobody Died”

I was in Trinidad doing some mission work. I stayed in the home of Pastor Shaheed Mohammed. His wife Pearl kept an immaculate home but she was so tranquil with her easy smile that it was a joy to stay in their home. I love the attitude of people who live on an island. They seem to have a relaxed way that we Americans desperately need to learn. Let me share an example.
One evening my friend and mission partner Rita, retired IMB missionary, and I were having dinner with pastor Shaheed and Pearl when Rita accidentally knocked over a potted plant arrangement. Flowers, dirt and sand went all over the floor and down the stairs making a dirty mess all over Pearl’s immaculate floor and stairs. Rita, like most Americans swift to act, jumped up, apologized continuously and began cleaning the mess from Pearl’s previously shining tile floor. Pearl remained calm, smiled and said, “Sister Rita, sit down. It’s OK. Nobody died!” We laughed but the message was clear. Although Pearl kept a spotless house, this was not worth the worry or fuss. It was time to enjoy dinner and a good time around the table.
Worry, stress and anxiety are so much a part of the American way of life that we forget that they are prohibited in the scriptures. Read Matthew 6:25. It is a command! Philippians 4:6 commands us not to be anxious about anything! Yet we stress, worry and literally fret ourselves to death everyday.
Most other cultures have a phrase or philosophy that describes a mentality that refrains from stress. In Kenya the Swahili term “Hakuna Matata” means “no problem”. Kenyans approach life with a “no problem attitude”. Hawaiians have a friendly hand gesture that means, “hang loose”. Hispanics are famous for being less stressed and time conscious than people in the USA. They say, “You Americans have a watch, we have time.” They never seem to hurry while we are always in a rush.
Could it really be that worry and stress are connected with trust in the Father? It really is a trust issue. The more we really trust God the less we worry. Thus the command! So, take a breath, remember that God is in control of things that you can’t handle, see how they will work in the future or figure out. Here is the best part, as much as Pearl’s, “Nobody died!” phrase was meant to calm Rita and let her know this was not worth the stress, when we really trust Christ even when somebody dies there is no reason to worry. With faith in the risen Christ even death does not have the last word!

Life is Good!

February 26 is my 8th anniversary. I celebrate my only kidney stone. Eight years ago I woke at 2 AM on a journey that saved my life. My ‘alarm clock’ was a mild and unusual kidney stone. I never had a stone before or since. The doctors said men ‘my age’ rarely have their 1st stone. (Don’t you hate it when that phrase becomes part of the dialogue?) The scan showed a calcium deposit that led to another doctor (remember this pattern).There was an aneurysm on my renal artery. Others doctors and scans later revealed other aneurysms outside both kidneys and a very rare renal artery disease called Fibro Muscular Dysplasia. This is not the way one wants to learn new vocabulary words. One also does not like to hear doctors say, “This is now more complicated than my area of expertise.” Now we move to see special doctors in other states. Nothing gets your attention like a talk with the most prominent specialist in the field in the nation and hearing, “I don’t like the looks of this.” I will spare you details but there is no feeling like lying in a hospital room after having prayed with your family and seeing them walk out the door and then knowing you will wake up either in the recovery room or Heaven. There is reality! I had two life saving surgeries. The first was in June. I could not have the second until I recovered enough strength for the second in November. Major artery reconstruction was preformed and three aneurysms were removed. I was told how serious the condition was but reality set in after the 2nd surgery when the patient after me with the next surgery that day with the same condition and same surgeon died in the next bed in ICU. My doctor told us most that situations such as this do not find the aneurysm until the autopsy, after it ruptures causing death with no warning or symptoms. He said, “God still has some work for you!" So, as I begin each day ‘admiring’ the 25 inch scar around my 33 inch midsection and go through the day with no feeling in that area of my abdomen, I seek to make the most of the gift of life. I do admit times of frustration I when I see people throwing away the precious fragile gift of life wasting time, fussing, fighting and arguing over petty matters. I am amazed at the ways we find to become angry and unhappy when we live in such a blessed country and are so blessed by God. Do you know that your garbage disposal ‘eats’ better than much of the rest of the world? People in many countries who are caught worshipping Jesus are beaten or killed. We have total freedom to assemble and worship the risen Christ and a spring shower is enough to keep many away from church. Others go to church and fuss about anything and everything that displeases them rather than finding the unity in Christ that He prayed for just before going to the Cross (read John 17:20-26). I am reminded of an old TV commercial for cell phones. They end the commercial saying, “We’re, part of the AT&T wireless network…and we get it!” I often think we could do a similar commercial but we would have to change the words and say, “We are Christians living in America, saved by the abundant grace of Christ, living in a free nation to enjoy life at the fullest…and we don’t get it!” I Thessalonians 5:16 commands us to “Rejoice always” yet we often sit in the middle of God’s blessings and frown. Next time you think you are having a bad time, remember the blessings you have here in America, read I Thessalonians. 5:18 and move on. You could have been born in India as an ‘untouchable’ (how would you like a life of cleaning out sewers with no hope of bettering your status in life?) or in you could have been born in Pakistan or Cambodia and not had the freedom or blessings that you have. John 10:10 says Jesus came to give abundant life. Let other stuff go and live! If I can rejoice over a 25-inch scar and celebrate the 8th anniversary of a kidney stone, you ought not to look too far to find your own reason to rejoice.
Happy Anniversary!