As I was perusing my journal, I came across something that I thought I could share. I'm not sure where it came from - whether I heard it from someone else or the Lord, but anyway...
A word from the Lord is like an orange:
You squeeze all the juice out until it seems there could never be any more.
In a moment of faith or curiosity, you return to the squeezed rind just to see if, hope against hope, there might be a drop left - just a drop.
Then, from the dry, shrivelled peel an outflow of juice overwhelms you!
20 to 30 times what was originally squeezed!
Such is the harvest of him who seeks beyond his understanding!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Perfect Pitch, but Frozen Shoulder
I know that I just posted a blog the other day, but I have another story to share.
Today I was reminded that God will not be reduced to academics. Sometimes he will humor us and put up with us, but ultimately, God is God and he will be known as such and treated as such.
My patient today had passed out over the weekend and so she was brought to the hospital to investigate the reason why. She is in her 50s and has uncontrolled diabetes, over-medicated hypertension, and she had an operation years ago to remove 2 aneurysms in her brain. This operation left her with progressive hearing loss and occasional episodes of difficulty speaking and swallowing. As I talked with her I asked her if she was angry with the doctors who have cared for her. "Yes," she said. "I'm very angry. My hands are starting to swell, my hearing is getting worse, then I pass out... no one seems to be able to help me. And no one ever has time to listen to me." Even her son who is living in California doesn't have time... she hasn't seen him in 4 years. Then she set me up for the biggest home-run hit of the century: she said to me, "Sometimes I just don't know why I'm here." And she burried her head in her pillow.
Now, at that moment, I was moved - like I imagine you are. I was thinking, "Alright, let's smash this one home. It's perfect! God, I know this is the question that I can answer! Maybe I can't tell her anything about echocardiograms, but THIS, THIS is all mine!" ... right??
...wrong.
I don't know crap about this either. And it was important that the Lord show me that. I just stood there. I was full of confidence but had absolutely NOTHING to say to her. The perfectly lobbed pitch floated by and I just watched it. My arms could not move - they were paralyzed.
So, God, what's up with that? Talking with the Lord about it tonight I think he showed me: My heart was broken for her, yes, and that was good and right, but I was confident in my own ability to come up with an "academically spiritual" answer for her because, after all, I'm a Christian. I know my Bible. I sing worship songs. I might as well have a degree in Christianity. Ha. See, if I hadn't been so wise in my own eyes at that moment, I would have remembered the words of Daniel or the humility of Nehemiah! I would have openly said, "I'd love to tell you, but the Lord ALONE knows the hearts and purposes of man... may I talk with him on your behalf?" I have no doubt that if I had simply humbled myself before my King, He would have laid bare her heart and the purposes of her life for both of us!
Again, I rejoice in these moments where the Lord shows me what a fool I am, because I know he is constantly shaping and refining me.
So, here's the point... academic knowledge of God might enable us to recognize the perfect pitch (maybe) but only the power of God can give us the strength to smash it out of the park. Let's remember that He is God and He will be known as God.
"Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and he will [smash it out of the park]" (my paraphrase.
Bless you.
Today I was reminded that God will not be reduced to academics. Sometimes he will humor us and put up with us, but ultimately, God is God and he will be known as such and treated as such.
My patient today had passed out over the weekend and so she was brought to the hospital to investigate the reason why. She is in her 50s and has uncontrolled diabetes, over-medicated hypertension, and she had an operation years ago to remove 2 aneurysms in her brain. This operation left her with progressive hearing loss and occasional episodes of difficulty speaking and swallowing. As I talked with her I asked her if she was angry with the doctors who have cared for her. "Yes," she said. "I'm very angry. My hands are starting to swell, my hearing is getting worse, then I pass out... no one seems to be able to help me. And no one ever has time to listen to me." Even her son who is living in California doesn't have time... she hasn't seen him in 4 years. Then she set me up for the biggest home-run hit of the century: she said to me, "Sometimes I just don't know why I'm here." And she burried her head in her pillow.
Now, at that moment, I was moved - like I imagine you are. I was thinking, "Alright, let's smash this one home. It's perfect! God, I know this is the question that I can answer! Maybe I can't tell her anything about echocardiograms, but THIS, THIS is all mine!" ... right??
...wrong.
I don't know crap about this either. And it was important that the Lord show me that. I just stood there. I was full of confidence but had absolutely NOTHING to say to her. The perfectly lobbed pitch floated by and I just watched it. My arms could not move - they were paralyzed.
So, God, what's up with that? Talking with the Lord about it tonight I think he showed me: My heart was broken for her, yes, and that was good and right, but I was confident in my own ability to come up with an "academically spiritual" answer for her because, after all, I'm a Christian. I know my Bible. I sing worship songs. I might as well have a degree in Christianity. Ha. See, if I hadn't been so wise in my own eyes at that moment, I would have remembered the words of Daniel or the humility of Nehemiah! I would have openly said, "I'd love to tell you, but the Lord ALONE knows the hearts and purposes of man... may I talk with him on your behalf?" I have no doubt that if I had simply humbled myself before my King, He would have laid bare her heart and the purposes of her life for both of us!
Again, I rejoice in these moments where the Lord shows me what a fool I am, because I know he is constantly shaping and refining me.
So, here's the point... academic knowledge of God might enable us to recognize the perfect pitch (maybe) but only the power of God can give us the strength to smash it out of the park. Let's remember that He is God and He will be known as God.
"Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and he will [smash it out of the park]" (my paraphrase.
Bless you.
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