Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

–          2 Corinthians 1:10-11

 

“That we may not complain of what is, let us see God’s hand in all events; and, that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God’s hand.”

–          Matthew Henry

 

I could have entitled this post, “Roller Coasters for Old Folks,” but it wasn’t any fun.

 

Yet, it brings great Joy when God answers prayer, and, in this case, He answered prayer emphatically.

 

On May 1, we were planning a trip to Tennessee to visit one son, daughter-in-law, and three small grandchildren.  The plan was to take the oldest of the three with us to Texas to a family reunion.  We were praying for a safe journey, and we were not to leave for nearly three weeks.

 

Then I had a month-long ordeal with kidney stones.  I could go on about how each setback changed our starting point for the trip, but never changed our plans until the urologist ended the idea for good.  Memorial Day weekend would begin with a trip to the doctor followed by a painful weekend.  We missed our trip to visit the grandchildren and to be at my wife’s family reunion.  And I was in deep trouble with my wife for getting sick at the wrong time.

 

Okay, answers to prayers:  I had three kidney stones.  Two stones passed naturally.  One stone was surgically removed.

 

New prayers:  My wife asked God, WHY?  There may never be another gathering of the family.  The nephews and nieces are starting to scatter.  Without a parent left to be a rallying point, the brothers and sisters are more interested in seeing their own children and their growing families than their brothers and sisters.  So, why not ask God WHY!?

 

My wife got an almost immediate answer, “I am saving you.”  Okay, now what does THAT mean?!?

 

Then, on Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend, just before midnight, my wife got an answer to the last question, from what was God saving her.  Before she went to bed, she complained of an upset stomach.  She woke me up once, but after throwing up, she told me to go back to sleep.  Less than an hour later, I was getting dressed and taking her to the ER about midnight.  On the way, she said that if we had gone on the trip, we would have a grandson to take care of and we’d be an hour from Austin, the nearest big hospital.  Now we had answers to other prayers, but still more prayers were being made.

 

After checking herself out of the ER once the pain was under control (long story), our primary care physician explained that she had had a gall stone that blocked the junction of ducts that connect the kidney, liver, and gall bladder.  All three were in distress.  As a result, she could need immediate emergency surgery.  After further bloodwork that turned up a little better, the crisis was averted.  My wife still needed tests, but she no longer had the ‘emergency’ label.

 

Answered prayers:  My wife had gall stones.  We now know what caused her pain and from what God was saving her.

 

Still unanswered prayer:  In qualifying for a simple gall bladder surgery, they discovered that her aortic stenosis is now at a severe level.  She had a heart catheterization.  She will need surgery to replace the aortic valve, but the surgery schedule is in limbo due to various doctors having differing opinions.  The gall bladder surgery is on hold, although she continues to have some pain.

 

This upcoming surgery is not a simple procedure.  We need your prayers.

 

The Scripture above talks of God delivering Paul and his friends from deadly peril.  God really answers prayers, for Paul then and for us now.  Also, God’s plans are better than our plans.  We were going on a trip, but God knew that we both needed to stay close to home for a while to repair our own bodies.

 

Can I repeat the Matthew Henry quote?  After all, some people could read this post and simply think, “You had a bad couple of months.  So what?”

 

“That we may not complain of what is, let us see God’s hand in all events; and, that we may not be afraid of what shall be, let us see all events in God’s hand.”

–          Matthew Henry

 

Yes, my wife and I have had a bad couple of months, but we’ve had a couple of great months when you consider how God has talked to us directly.  There have been a lot of answered prayers.  It’s not over yet, but all I can think of right now is…

 

“Ain’t God good?!”

 

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.