Hospital Stories 1

Hospital Stories 1
Brad Reiches
Oct 19 2006 01:13AM

Several subscribers have asked me to share some of the highlights of my recent "surgical journey."  So once a week, for the next several weeks, I'll share some of what God shared with me.  And let me take this opportunity to say THANK YOU once again, to those who have prayed, and are continuing to pray for me.  Your prayers are DEEPLY appreciated! Pastor Brad Thursday, October 19, 2006 GodThoughtsWired! "Hospital Stories  1" HELPLESS! "Be quick to hear..." James 1:19 I awakened from anestesia at 4:30pm.  For the next ten and a half hours I was HELPLESS...completely helpless (Finally, at 3am, I learned how to maneuver the mechanical bed with my finger in such a way that I could begin to help myself).  Have you ever heard the question, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"  Well, this surgery has provided me with a veritable plethora of FIRST TIME EXPERIENCES. The only other time that I was ever COMPLETELY helpless was when I was an infant, and I don't remember that at all.  So this was the first time in my life to consciously have such an experience.  Throughout the course of my five days in the hospital, I had seven total nurses - five were fine/ok, one was an angel and one was...NOT. During those ten and a half hours of helplessness, it meant EVERYTHING TO ME for the nurses to listen.  Because the only way they could help me was to understand my need.  And the only way to understand my need was to listen.  The ONE nurse who sincerely listened was truly like an angel.  In my time of need - IT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME!  I couldn't help myself, and I was often in need of significant help during those ten and a half hours. NOTHING IN MY LIFE AT THAT TIME WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FOR SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO ME...NOTHING! The nurses who listened to me brought me INCREDIBLE RELIEF for which I was INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL!  The one nurse that didn't listen because...he was either too busy or too inconvenienced or didn't care or just figured he knew what I needed when in fact HE DIDN'T, caused me one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. Which I will share with you next week. He who has an ear to hear...let him hear.