Sometimes life catches you off guard. You think you know where you’re headed, what your next steps will be, and then you hit an obstacle that rises up out of nowhere. You don’t know how it got there, or why, but suddenly you’re thrown off course, uncertain of anything. Our most recent obstacle was called chronic heart disease, and until a month ago, we didn’t even know it was there. My husband and I moved to Ohio last summer and so we needed a new primary care physician. Once the doctor reviewed my husband’s previous four surgeries, he decided to set up meetings with various specialists Bruce might need in the future. Little did we know, the future was about to show up. A visit to a cardiologist, set up to give Bruce someone to call, you know, someday, turned into a request for a stress test, then a heart catheterization. Within days we were seeing a heart surgeon to discuss blocked arteries and an enormous aneurysm. After four previous surgeries, no one had discovered blocked arteries. It was a surprise, but here’s what else it was.
It was an opportunity to see God’s hand at work, to know that God knew what was coming, what we would need before we ever left Florida. It was clear to us that our favorite phrase, “God’s got this!” was absolutely true. Here are some of the reasons we believe this. For the first time, we live near family, people who can be there with us, and our family was there every step of the way. For the first time, we have a primary care physician who is a man of prayer, and took Bruce’s history seriously, and recommended actions that probably saved his life. We had the comfort of prayer warriors all around the country, holding us up, supporting our journey, keeping us confident and strong at times we didn’t feel any of those things for ourselves. We had a hospital system that wasn’t afraid to say who they are, with a motto that is posted in every room, “This room and those who serve in it are dedicated to prayer for the ministry of healing.”
We may have been lost for words, but God knew this day was coming, and He had orchestrated everything. An enormous aortic aneurysm and 100% blocked arteries did not get in the way of what God can do. Perhaps this is why our job in every circumstance is to pray, and then stand back, and let God get to work. To God be the glory!
We are beyond grateful to the doctors, the care teams, and the beautiful people of prayer who supported us. Thankfully, Bruce is healing and getting stronger every day.