Today is Thursday, October 23rd, 2014; Karen's Korner #2928

After being diagnosed with coronary artery disease in the fall of 1974, two years later Jim was once again feeling poorly. Our local doctors directed us to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for further testing. His disease was progressing. Tests revealed that heart bypass could be an option.

In 1976, the procedure was relatively new and unheard of by many ("What you are going to stop his heart? Take veins from his legs? Replace them in his heart? And start it up again?"). After some more tests, we were told that Jim was not a candidate for the surgery due to how the disease was positioning itself in his arteries.

For several days, our family lived with this limiting news.

I call myself a 'Bible reader', not a 'Bible scholar'. One morning I was charging through a couple of chapters in Psalms, turned the page from Psalm 49, moving on to chapter 50. And there it was, in italics,

"I want you to trust Me in your times of trouble,

for I will rescue you,

and You will give Me glory."

~ Psalm 50:15 LAB

I literally ran down the street and up to Jim's hospital room. "Jim, I think God is telling us that we are going to be rescued!" We also knew (and know) that God has lots of rescue alternatives and that Jim dying prematurely was one of His options.

It was then that we prayed asking "God's will to be done", in Jim's life and in ours. Not knowing what hat might look like.

A few days later, Dr. Pluth, who was Chief of Staff for Cardiology, 'just happened' to look at Jim's many tests, came into his room and asked if they could 'try the bypass with no guarantees of success'. The surgery was performed about six weeks later; more successful than they had anticipated; getting Jim much improved health and the opportunity to return home and resume farming for the next 20 years!

Looking back on those days, quite a lengthy time ago, we would remark that we were so happy that we didn't plead and beg God "for ten more good years" or "until the kids are gone from home" (the girls were 5 and 3 at the time). We would have missed God's best........38 additional years!

That would have been a number we could have only dreamed about back then. A number only possible from a God who loves handing out the impossible!

Thank You, God, for helping us to trust You. We continue to give You the glory that you so richly deserve. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 


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