Ministry
This week has been filled with the real work of the ministry. We have a young girl in our congregation with a very serious medical condition and she has been having some real complications lately. Her mother took her to the hospital Sunday and they saw that the tube they had placed in her brain to drain the fluid build up was not working properly. So Monday I had the opportunity to be with the mother as we waited for the surgery to be completed. It is amazing how close you can get to people when they are facing moments of such uncertainty. After a few hours I left the hospital and it appeared that everything would be OK.
I left the hospital and traveled to the main Cook County jail and medical facility. Finally I had time to run in and see a friend that I have known for several years that had been shot during an apparent altercation. He is now waiting trial for attempted murder. Waiting to see him brought back many painful memories for me and made me face the terrible decisions that I had made through life. Once I left him I just sat in the van crying to God to change his heart. I know God can do it because he took me away from all that stupid mess and so I believe He can deliver anyone! While I was sitting and crying out to God I began to just weep for all the medical issues going on because of the young lady I mentioned previously and the fact that we had just received word the night before that Camille’s aunt has been diagnosed with some form of brain cancer. I literally sat there with an expired meter for about a half an hour just crying and lifting my heart to God.
After hours of hospitals and jails it was finally time to pick up my wife from work. Once I picked her up it was off to another hospital. We spent time with her aunt and had a great time as we reconnected with family. After several more hours of being in a hospital we finally went home for the night. I was troubled that entire night as the day before was so emotionally draining. Then a little after 5 in the morning I got a call from the mother I had been with the day before. The surgery had caused more complications and they were going to preform an emergency surgery on the young girl right away.
We jumped up and Camille agreed to go to work really early so I could return to the hospital. Once there they quickly got her ready to go to the adult hospital for the surgery. Again we waited as the doctors went back in to see what was causing the reactions. After a few hours we got word that the surgery was complete and we returned to her room where she seemed much better than she had been the day before.
We have much to be thankful for and it is good knowing that God is with us through every trial we face! This is the real work of the ministry and even though it is draining and exhausting I would not trade it for anything in the world…ultimately it is God who will get the glory and He gives us the strength we need to endure!
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wow man rough week emotionally…we’ll definitely be lifting you up in prayer this week…this job isn’t for everyone, it definitely takes a called, special individual to pastor a church!!!!