But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
My boys were watching a lecture on music when my oldest stood up, then dropped to the ground in pain. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but it was clear that he needed medical care and he needed it right away. After he was able to catch his breath, he gingerly made his way to our vehicle while clutching his stomach and not standing up straight. The pain that he was going through was scary, and I wasn’t sure if I should be the one to take him somewhere. I was wondering if we should call an ambulance.
Stop one told us he needed an emergency room for images and stop two thought for sure we were heading to surgery for an appendicitis, but that was not to be. They couldn’t get a clear picture of his appendix. What they could see didn’t seem to show what they expected. After being strapped onto a stretcher, we headed by ambulance to stop three.
That afternoon, we arrived at a fantastic hospital with a team of doctors and surgeons ready to figure out what was going on with my son. They had met and discussed his case before we even arrived. After performing a test, they were ready with a game plan for the next step almost immediately. After several tests, a diagnosis was made. We’d be in the hospital for a while.
I’m sure that all hospitals strive to make a stay comfortable and serene. This hospital does that too; however, it also turns darkness into sunshine, cries into laughter, and stress into hope. When a frightening experience is turned into one that has seen blessing after blessing, it humbles you. It wakes you up in a way that nothing in the world can. God can speak to us the loudest in emergency situations. His peace has wrapped me in a cocoon of joy amid all the shenanigans.
Shenanigans? What a crazy word for hospitals, right? I’m talking shenanigans in the best possible way. The type that makes you laugh out loud and makes you reevaluate your own seriousness. Laughter makes problems shrink within moments.
I could talk about the brilliant people we’ve met, I could talk about the steps that had God’s hands all over them, and I could talk about God’s saving grace and mercy. I could go on forever about the overwhelming gratitude that I’ve been feeling. I have thankfulness for everything from insurance, to my hubby’s job, to where we went and when, to a flooding calmness, to finding the amusement in situations, to help from others, to private bathrooms, to the amount of people who cares and prays, to not allowing fear to overcome the truth that we know Who’s in control.
All the medical professionals that we’ve dealt with during the past several days, from our first to last stop, have been amazing and I’ll be forever grateful to their kindness and sunshine. As I sit here in this hospital listening to the laughter drifting through the door beside our lime green wall, I recognize what we’re looking for isn’t always in the perfect places.
Joy is not only found on vacation or when things are going right. The joy that surpasses all others is found in the places where nobody wants to find themselves. When you catch yourself finding extreme amusement and having the best time you’ve had in a long time within a hospital that carries uncertainty and unanswered questions, you see the true joy and peace of God.
The shenanigans of the day: hospital gowns. First step…learning to put them on with the opening in the back. Second step…teaching a boy to lie in bed with a blanket draped over their legs or keeping their legs together and flat on the bed. Another thing I’m thankful for is boys being allowed underwear beneath the gown. Third step…not allowing the nurses to corrupt your teenager with said gown and “giving someone a show” hilarity.
We won’t even mention about the use of portable urinals and the great conversations about how awesome those bottles can be…even when not in the hospital. You see, these shenanigans are just as special in overall well-being as all the other medical miracles. I believe that God is at work shining through these individuals who bring laughter and joy out of serious situations. God is certainly not only interested in healing the body. He’s interested in healing all those dark, depressing places that only he’s willing to go.
I thought about making this about being exposed, but there’s something even more important shining through. It has to do with the joy of bright colors, positive attitudes, and relief through laughter. It has to do with true peace and joy.
It took someone with a kind heart to come up with taking a scary CT scan and turning it into an underwater adventure for children. To my delight, I found the whole room transformed into this amazing place where I wanted to be. I was experiencing my own ocean exploration. It was fantastic! This is again seeing the silly as an enormous blessing. I’m sure there have been many smiles from children during a scary time.
My son got on the bed and was taken into the machine. A voice said to take a deep breath in. I listened. A voice said to hold that breath. I listened. A voice said to let the breath out. I listened. This is when it dawned on me that I wasn’t getting the scan done, my son was! Yet, I listened.
Do I listen as quickly as I did with that voice when I’m told that I will not be crushed when I’m pressed on every side? How about when I’m told that I won’t be in despair when I’m perplexed? Do I immediately listen when I’m told I won’t be abandoned when I’m persecuted? Do I take it as fact when I’m told that I won’t be destroyed when I’m struck down?
I challenge you to allow the peace of the knowledge that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. What an awesome statement of God’s love in us when we experience pure joy during the struggles. What a freeing thing to laugh and celebrate all the shenanigans amid the trials! It isn’t a crime to find the small things to celebrate or to laugh while in the rough spots of life; it’s a testimony!
