"I'll take useless body parts for $500 Alex."
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 11:02AM ALEX: And the answer is, "This body part is located on the lower right side of the abdomen, can cause great pain when infected, and once it goes bad it must be removed."
STU: "What is the appendix?"
I guess everything went as good as you could expect. Abdominal pain started on Wednesday afternoon and after a trip to the ER and a CT which revealed an inflamed appendix, I was taken to surgery...
which started out a little rough but ended surprisingly well. I got into a room after surgery about 11:00 and got to sleep off most of the effects of the anesthesia. Apparently the only thing that had anyone concerned was that I have a resting heart rate of 45-55 bmp. (Lance Armstrong has a similar heart rate as do all finely tuned athletes) at least that's what they told me.
Seriously though. The pain is gone, my appendix did not rupture, and I just got my discharge papers so I'm about to blow this popcorn stand. As I was laying awake last night I was wondering why something that serves no purpose can cause so much pain. Usually I am on the pastoring side of the hospital bed and see firsthand a lot of people who are going through pain and asking themselves what's the purpose.
As best I can figure, there are just some things we don't get to understand fully. And that is probably best.
If Joseph could have looked into the future and seen himself in 50 years when his brothers sold him would it have kept him from becoming the man he was in 50 years?
If Abraham had known that there would be a ram in the thicket when he and Isaac started up Mt. Moriah would it have kept him from knowing God's love for him and his love for God?
If Daniel had known an angel would shut the mouths of the lions would he have known the peace of God in any circumstance?
If John the Baptist had known he would one day lose his head would his preaching have been quite so bold?
I'm sure that I can't answer any of these questions but I do know that God uses everything to bring us close to him. Sometimes something beautiful and peaceful, but sometimes nasty and painful. I hope that no matter what God uses in my life and in yours that it will always draw us close to Him.
Sometimes it's the Destination AND the Journey!
Reader Comments (6)
we missed you very much in Church today. We hope you get to feeling better real soon. Hope it didn't hurt too bad. I don't know what an appendix is, but it sounds painful. I will pray for you before I go to bed tonight.
Glad all went well with surgery. It was a little weird...me visiting you in the hospital for a change! We missed you Sunday and glad you will be back soon.
Love you guy's,
The Kennington's in Georgia
Danny Forshee