Among the stranger memories of my childhood are those of going to the circus with my grandfather. While the horses and performing elephants delighted me, the clowns filled me with abject terror. Clownish nightmares haunted me for years.
Lately I have begun to realize that life is a bit like walking the tightrope. Day after day we put one foot in front of the other, unaware of the obstacles and events that threaten to throw us off balance.
Last August Henry began to experience chest pain with moderate exertion. Having always been fit, he was shocked to fail his treadmill test. On 22 January we rose early and drove to the hospital for a scheduled angiogram. I packed reading material and was prepared to wait. "You cannot wait here!"
I was commanded. They would phone me around 5:00 or 6:00 pm, when he was ready to go home.
Last August Henry began to experience chest pain with moderate exertion. Having always been fit, he was shocked to fail his treadmill test. On 22 January we rose early and drove to the hospital for a scheduled angiogram. I packed reading material and was prepared to wait. "You cannot wait here!"
I was commanded. They would phone me around 5:00 or 6:00 pm, when he was ready to go home.
The receptionist firmly resisted my protests. I found myself walking back to the car with my bag of books, a volatile mix of emotions brewing. Raigmore (the local hospital in Inverness) is notorious for its paucity of parking spaces. I had managed to find a decent space and when I reached the car I burst into tears. I didn't want to leave Henry alone. I didn't want to give up the parking space (so silly, I know). Being new to the area, I wasn't completely sure I could find my way back to the hospital later that evening. It is a 45 minute drive under the best conditions and it would be dark. I sat until the flood of tears abated...waving off the poor souls hoping to seize my parking space.
When at last I managed to collect myself, I turned toward home, maneuvering my way through the myriad of roundabouts. What I needed was a hot cup of tea, time to pray and catch up on Bible reading. Just as I settled at my desk (in the corner of the conservatory) the sun broke through the clouds, filling the room and my heart.
My attempt to study was futile, but prayer came easily as I waited for the phone call. It was mid-afternoon when the phone rang. I picked up and was quite surprised to hear Henry's voice: "I guess I wrecked their schedule for the afternoon."
The angiogram had revealed that two of three major coronary arteries were 98% blocked. The cardiologist immediately cancelled his previously scheduled patients and placed two stents. When the procedure was complete, Henry was told he could have had "a fatal event" at any moment!
After a mandatory overnight in the hospital he was more than ready to come home! For several days we found ourselves engulfed in a strange mixture of gratitude and shock. We had packed up Little Halley and moved to Drumnadrochit in December. Henry had lifted more boxes than I care to think about! But God, in His mercy, protected him from a 'fatal event.' The Lord's purpose prevailed!
Life is like a tightrope walk! We are prone to losing our balance. Yet, as we navigate this circus we call 'life,' Christians are not alone. We know the One who goes before us and has numbered our days. Jesus is our Ballast and our Safety Net, our Rescuer. None can snatch us out of His hand. Hallelujah!
Now, let's fix our eyes on Him and keep walking!
Soli Deo Gloria!
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