Hospitals and Boats

There I stood, face to face with the chief liver transplant surgeon of Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. “Mr. Sherman, your wife is too sick right now. If a liver was to become available, it would be too risky to attempt a transplant. I’m sorry, but we’ll have to remove her from the waiting list.” I pleaded with the doctor, but to no avail. I felt helpless. My sweetheart was laying there in the ICU in a coma. Her liver had almost completely stopped working, and her kidneys were shutting down. She was dying. How would I tell the boys?

Thoughts were at war in my head. I recalled the promises God had spoken to me and the many prophetic words of encouragement given to us in the preceding months and days, not to mention the many faithful friends and family who were praying. Yet, the ugly specter of death was seemingly laughing in my face. I had to make a decision in that moment. What thoughts would I allow and which ones would I refuse? Everything happening in that moment seemed to contradict what I knew deep within me.

We can’t always control the events and circumstances of our lives, but we can control our reaction to them.

Ultimately, the outcome was good. Less than 36 hours later, she was in surgery receiving a new, healthy liver. But at the time I didn’t know what the ultimate outcome would be, all I knew was that God was with me. I felt His presence. I had to make a conscious choice in that moment to reject those negative thoughts and hold on to the good ones.

Philippians 4:8 (NLT) says, “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

What are you saying here, Kevin? Just think nice happy thoughts and everything will be ok? No, it’s more than that. There is a peace that goes beyond human understanding. That peace is born in trust. Let me sum it up this way – I know He is with me, He loves me, and therefore I can trust Him.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in Mark 4:35-41. I’m going to paraphrase it for you. Jesus tells His disciples “get in the boat, we’re going to the other side.” While they were sailing He fell asleep and a windstorm came. They were being tossed in the waves and they feared the boat would sink.  They woke Jesus up and said, “Don’t you even care that we’re about to die?” Then Jesus gets up and says to the sea, “Peace, be still!” The wind stopped and the sea was calm. Then Jesus says to them, “Why are you so fearful? Don’t you have any faith?”

There are many messages within this story, but what stands out to me is this – The fact that Jesus was able to sleep in the midst of the storm. Why? Because the peace that was within Him was greater than any storm. And because that peace was greater, He could bring peace to it.  Why did He rebuke the disciples for their lack of faith? After all, they were mere men, right? He rebuked them because they didn’t believe what He had told them. He told them they were going to the other side. It had already been settled, they were going to get to the other side, come what may!

There is an unexplainable peace that fills us when we simply take Him at His word.

If you find yourself right now in the midst of chaos, turmoil, or uncertainty, remember what He last spoke to you. If you’re not sure, here’s some truth you can hold on to –

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”     Jeremiah 29:11

That’s not a doctor’s opinion, or a storm’s. That’s what He thinks!

Let His thoughts become your thoughts.

In the words of a great song….”so let go, my soul, and trust in Him, the waves and wind still know His name.”

In Him,

Kevin