The Lord, our Refuge

“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” *

 At 5:00 a.m. on the Friday before Father’s Day, Al and I were up, dressed and on our way to the surgery center of a nearby hospital complex. He was scheduled for outpatient surgery, trading in an old shoulder joint for a new one. What a Father’s Day gift!

However, he had been in pain for some time and was looking forward to doing normal activities again, even though it meant having his left arm in a sling for several weeks.  At a previous appointment Al had asked the surgeon, who specialized in shoulders, how many similar surgeries he had done. “Thousands!” the doctor replied emphatically. That was encouraging!

Although we were familiar with the hospital, we wanted to get there early. The campus is spread out over several city blocks with many different buildings. Its sheer size is a little mind boggling: the hospital itself has over 1,000 beds for patients!

  After finding a place in one of the parking structures, we went through a thorough screening at one entrance to the hospital, were given “Healthy Visitor” stickers for our jackets and shown the way to another desk where Al was admitted as an outpatient. It was somewhat like going through security at a major airport, although there weren’t as many people milling around and masks were required due to the COVID 19 crisis.

 From there, we took the elevator to the surgery center, where we walked through a large waiting room, checked in with the appropriate person and sat down until his name was called to go to the pre-op area. Just before 7:00, I was able to go back and say “good-bye.” Then he was wheeled away in one direction and I was escorted to the same waiting room in another direction.

Feeling a little anxious and stressed as his operation commenced, I decided to try to find the food court area. I asked for directions, trying to take careful note of my surroundings so that I could find my way back. After a quick breakfast in the nearly deserted dining room, I managed to get on the right elevator and landed on the same floor as previously.

There was a lull of an hour or so, time enough to read my Bible, write down a few thoughts and pray while sitting in a fairly quiet area facing away from the TV. When the doctor came out to tell me the results of the operation, I was relieved to hear that Al’s shoulder joint definitely needed replacing and that the surgery had gone well. A great answer to prayer!

While waiting for him to wake up, I went for a walk outside. It was a beautiful morning and the fresh air helped revive me. By the time I reported back to the front desk in the surgery center, Al was awake and responsive.

A nurse informed us that due to an admission error, he was going to have to spend the night. A big change of plans! I stayed with him through the afternoon, but left before dinner time to go home and feed the dogs. No sooner did I arrive at our house than the phone rang with a frantic husband on the other end of the line. He was calling to tell me that someone had arranged for his discharge after all and that I needed to come and pick him up.

Furthermore, there was a physical therapist with him who wanted to show me how to correctly put on the sling and remove it again without touching the affected shoulder. Hurry! So, after apologizing to our hungry pets, I quickly drove back to the hospital with a prayer that the Lord would help me not to get lost!

Well, after Al was safely home and resting in his recliner and the dogs had been fed, a big wave of relief rushed over me. It felt wonderful to have the surgery over and to be secure in our own environment of relative calmness and quietness!

How thankful we are to have the Lord to lean on during such times. As we trust in Him, we find peace. He is “our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1 NIV)

* Psalm 73:28 NIV