Monday Morning Manna: Medical Week

Last week was a medical week for me. I went to bed on Monday night with a slight pain but thought nothing of it. I woke up Tuesday with a lot of abdominal pain. A text to my Dr. informed me which meds to take. By Thursday it had worsened to the point that I went to the doctor’s office to see the Nurse Practitioner. After an exam there, I was sent for a CT Scan, which showed bleeding in the intestine. Back to the Doctor’s office on Friday morning for blood work. Meanwhile I had lost six pounds since Tuesday, and with all the muscle relaxers and pain pills, I was sleeping a lot. On Friday at the doctor’s office, the Nurse Practitioner said, “God has created our bodies as wonderful things, with the ability to heal themselves.” I thought, “Easy for you to say at your age.” However, by Saturday morning, there was no pain and my temperature had returned to normal. When the blood work report arrived on Saturday afternoon – the verdict was “mild pancreatitis.” On Monday morning I will undergo tests and be referred to a Stomach Doctor. Having preached in much worse physical conditions than this, I went on to preach Sunday, at my Interim Pastorate. Not sure what all has happened to my body, but I am feeling much better. The Psalmist said, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:14). One thing I tried to instill in my kids was, you wake up in the morning and you go to school or work. If you don’t feel good, you come back home. But you don’t wake up, roll over, and go back to sleep. I hope you have a good week, no matter how you feel today.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.