It was the last of January 1996. I was in Cone hospital because my heart was out of rhythm. The plan was to put me on a medication that would take a few days to get my heart back in rhythm. If that did not work then they would do a cardio-version (put you to sleep and shock your heart back into rhythm.)
It was Thursday night, Dr. Gamble was there, and the medication had not yet done the job. That meant that Friday morning he would do this procedure. I must admit I wasn’t all that excited about this. It seemed just a bit SCARY. I expressed to Dr. Gamble my anxiety about having this done. He assured me that it was going to be ok.
The next morning this team of very professional people came into the room and started doing their particular parts of this procedure… rolling in that big red crash cart.. hooking me up to the machine… putting those pads on my chest and back. Dr. Gamble, knowing my anxiety, walked over to the edge of the bed and held my hand as they started to put me to sleep. Him taking my hand gave me a sense of peace I cannot begin to describe.
Isn’t that the way God is? When we are facing something that brings great anxiety or fear, He simply reaches down and holds our hand, and by doing so, says “I am here with you… everything will be alright.” And, you know, it will!!!
Dr. Gamble, my dear friend is now in a facility suffering from Alzheimer’s. I plan to see him soon. However, I am told he will not know me. I want to go and at the same time I don’t want to go. I guess I am afraid of how he will be. Would you pray for me to see him and hold his hand… like he held mine all those years ago?
Dear God there are many things that scare us in this world… many things of which we are afraid. Hold our hand as we walk through the valleys before us and have us to know that, in your love and care, everything is going to be all right. Amen.
Daily Devotions with Pastor Steve
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The Journey 