jstefan posted on July 25, 2009 09:01
Our family on the most part has not been accustomed to opening our home to strangers to stay a week especially with a rambunctious 4 year old.
In anticipation of the event, back in February I started preparing a special area in our basement for them to stay. It had a small bathroom, a large bedroom and kitchenette/dining area. Preparations took longer than expected. So on the Friday night of the weekend that the health seminar family Dr John Clark Julie and Conner would arrive I was feverishly working. Sweat was dripping into my glasses and it was like looking through a magnifying glass. I had just about finished the kitchen sink and counter. I had come up with a brainstorm to place construction adhesive on the plywood counter and put stick back vinyl floor tiles. I was really proud of myself! I was just barely on schedule!
Three hours to the beginning of Sabbath; I had to hurry. I made my last cuts for the sink- tile opening. My sheetrock knife with a fresh blade would stick in the gluey tile. One last cut! The knife slipped and stabbed right into my left wrist! Blood gushed from the wound! I had hit an artery! I grabbed my wrist and the blood squirted through my fingers?! My mind was totally focused on stopping the blood! No one was home! I compressed my right palm on to the wound and the bleeding stopped! I sunk to the ground beside a couch on the patio holding my wrist in a grip. What to do next?
Suddenly all my plans stopped! The sun kept setting! The Clarks kept driving! Jan and Tybee were practicing! I found my cell phone and the screen said: “no sim-card inserted”; I couldn’t believe it! Before real panic set in, the next box on the screen said “emergency calls only”. I pressed and was instantly talking with 911. By midnight I had six stitches and all my plans changed!
Really I felt a sense of relief! There was nothing further I could do. I could finally rest on the Sabbath! The usual polishing up of my sermon on Fridays had to just be what it would be!
We are told that a time will come when every earthly support will be cut off. Only our bread and water will be sure! Every character will be perfectly developed either for Satan or for Christ. Those who are filthy will continue so; those who are righteous will remain so. Nothing we can do at that time will make us any better prepared.
As we consider where we are at in scope of our Lord’s soon return may the Holy Spirit impress us as to what is really necessary? Much of what we do is being anxious about many things as Jesus observed about Bethany’s Martha but he noted that Mary had chosen the good portion-the better thing; the one thing that was needful and that would not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-42
Hebrews 12:4 observes that we have not yet in our struggle with sin, resisted unto the shedding of blood. When I saw my blood gushing out and the priorities that quickly fell into place I received a glimmer of the work I need to do in my life! What about you!