Yes…

So, after all the x-rays, MRI’s, doctor’s visits, transportation home and a whole lot of waiting, last Wednesday was the day that I was scheduled for surgery to repair my severed right quad tendon above my right knee. There was a lot of prep for the ordeal, to be sure. Each day after the initial appointment with the local surgeon, another battery of questions or medical inquiries came by mail or by phone.

By the time I arrived at the ortho hospital on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m., they had a full medical history including all the prior surgeries and other medical issues that I have encountered. Thirty nine years ago, to the day, I had my tonsils out under a local anesthesia in the same hospital Dad died in 11 months prior. Believe me, that crossed my mind as I laid there waiting for the surgeon to make his pre op visit.

The nurses were fantastic and I can’t say enough about the care they provided. Throughout the years, the registration procedure seems to have become more streamlined – in fact, they registered me by remote wireless terminal right at my bedside. I must have been asked at least 10 times what procedure they were doing on me and on which knee.

I have heard enough about surgeries gone wrong that I was pleased they were making sure they were preparing for the correct procedure. At one point, the nurse handed me a purple “sharpie” and asked me to write the word “Yes” on the correct leg. I kind of laughed, but very quickly determined that she was serious. So, although I couldn’t reach down to my knee, which was still immobilized, I scribbled “Yes” across the top of my right thigh. I felt kind of dumb.

I asked if I needed to write “No” on my left leg and they told me that wasn’t necessary. Aside from that, they preferred to key on the positive and didn’t want to complicate things by focusing on the negative. Several minutes later the surgeon came by and discussed the procedure. At the end of our conversation, he picked up the purple “sharpie” and scribbled numerous lines on my right knee cap. He smiled as he left, acknowledging that he wanted to open up the correct knee.

Then, I was off to get the femoral block in my right leg to aid in reducing post surgical pain. A few shots of something to take the edge off and I was on to the OR, where the anesthesiologist asked me to scoot over on the table from the bed I was wheeled in on. The next thing I knew I was in recovery and when I looked down, the first thing I saw was the “Yes” that I had written on my right thigh.

Yes! It was over! Yes, I was now on the road to recovery. Yes, the Lord had answered my prayers, as well as the prayers of many friends and family for a successful and safe procedure. Finally, nine days after the initial injury I sustained, my knee was repaired. The surgeon even told me that during the procedure, to check his work, he had even moved my knee more than 75 degrees and he was confident that the repair would work fine.

My post op stay wasn’t as carefree as I would have liked. They kept me longer than anticipated and had to give me two liters of saline to rehydrate me post surgery. Thursday and Friday were tough days dealing with pain as well. But this weekend has gone better than expected and I am clearly on the mend.

As I am sitting here recounting the events of the last week, and the long road ahead, I am reminded that God loves it when we say “Yes” to Him. Our verse for this evening comes from the apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul tells us, in 2 Corinthians 1:18-20, “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

Paul wanted the Corinthians to know that when he changed his plans concerning visiting them, he wasn’t vacillating out of indecisiveness but because he wanted to make sure that he was in the will of God. After all, God is always for His people – His answer always moves toward “yes” when it comes to the grace and support of His people. That is my encouragement for you this evening. God wants us to be clear and concise in our desire for Him to be in our lives. My prayer is that you will clearly accept God’s offer to lead you and be your Lord and Savior all the days of your life. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…