You know what I'm uncovering? Most of the things we worry about never come to fruition. Recently I had surgery on my hand. It was the third surgery on the same hand. I can be honest with you and share that I was completely terrified. My biggest fear? The block. If your not familiar with a block, it's a shot that numbs the entire arm so when you wake from surgery you feel no pain whatsoever. Now, that part is a blessing, but when your fingers begin to tingle, watch out!!With the first two blocks I had a LOT of pain with them. They go right under the collarbone and sometimes under the arm too. (That was my first one). The second block I had was some serious pain. So, as you can imagine the night before surgery sleep did not come. Even in the morning as I prepared to leave I felt as though I just wanted to keep my pain and ignore the surgery. But, I knew that wasn't an option.
My hubs was able to stay with me until I went back to surgery. Everyone was so nice, but that niceness still didn't take away my fears. I had prayed for God's peace and courage and calm. I knew He was there, but I also remembered.
Now, as I laid on my bed and had doctors and nurses enter and prepare, one speaks up and says, "Ah, we've got ourselves a wiggler". My anesthesiologist says, "Yep, we sure do. She's gonna wiggle right out of this bed. But I'm getting ready to give her a nice cocktail." That perked me right up. He asked me if I liked Margaritas and I said, "It's been a very long time since I've had a margarita." He smiles and says, "Well, since your already tucked in and safe, your gonna have about four of them right now." LOL Hello!!
Obviously he thought I was ready to proceed. I'd rather just kept my margaritas and headed home. But here they all came and the needle came out. They tell me, "Ya know, your last block was seven years ago. Things have changed and your gonna be surprised." Do you know, I barely felt them give me my block! Sure, there was pressure and it was uncomfortable, but nothing..nothing like I'd remembered. I had held on to that fear, a fear, that didn't need to be there, for so long, and it all turned out just fine.
"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses every thought will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Matthew 6:25-34
Friends, we can spend time looking back or looking forward, when in reality we simply need to look at right now. Fear can trap us in the past and keep us from moving forward. It too can rush us so far ahead, that we lose sight of the right now. We can allow our fears to get the best of us. Fear can encapsulate us.
What I needed to do was pray. I needed to share every deep fear with Jesus and trust Him. Even if it did hurt, there was nothing I could do about it. Just in the cases of those first two. Yes, they were super painful, but you know what? I got through them! They only lasted a few minutes and it was over. But look at the time I've wasted in fear? We lose so much when we concentrate on fear.
Friends, is there something you are fearing right now as you read these words? Please, surrender that fear to Jesus. Be honest with Him. Give Him your anxiety and unsettledness and watch what He does. I am learning more and more to rely on my Jesus. He truly is our Everything. Place all your trust in Him and know without a doubt that He is going to lead you through. Just as the doctors shared with me. A lot changes in seven years. Friends, a lot can change within one moment. Don't lose hope. Find yourself in the comfort and courage of Jesus.
I was in fear from the very moment I scheduled my surgery. Oh, I trusted my surgeon. Loved the hospital. But the fear of that block stole an entire month away from me. I allowed Satan a stronghold that I should have surrendered to the Lord. There is no room for fear in our lives. None. And you know what? Everything turned out all right. I learned a huge lesson. Fear does nothing for us. In giving in to that fear I wasn't trusting Jesus. I was letting Satan tell me that Jesus wasn't enough. And friends, Jesus is always enough.
"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds, in a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear."
John Newton
