Always Pray First!
It’s more than a platitude—more than a slogan or cliché; definitely more than a cop-out or good idea…it is by right of truth – an absolute. We should never do anything, and I mean anything, without praying first. Hear me out…
I have been fighting for the vision in both of my eyes since the week of Thanksgiving. I woke up on that Friday with something wrong—very wrong in my right eye. On Monday I was able to get to my ophthalmologist in Atlanta and was subsequently rushed into emergency surgery to repair a severely detached retina. I then was ordered to lay on my right-hand side, 24 hours a day, for seven days, so that the gas bubble that had been put into my eye could maintain pressure on the injury for it to heal. That was six weeks ago.
This is not a common thing to happen to someone, especially without any other medical conditions—of which I have none. So, you can imagine how upsetting it was for my when, at 3 p.m. on Christmas day, It happened again—but this time in my left eye. The next day I drove to Stockbridge to meet with the surgeon who had operated on my right eye, so that he could examine my left. I chose him because I felt like I could trust him—amid a great deal of anxiety and bewilderment.
Cheryl and I walked into the room where I was to begin the examination…and everything started going downhill fast! The technician who was supposed to numb my eyes and then take the pressures of both, was obviously having a challenging day, and had no intent on listening to me about the fact that my eyes were not numb yet; and in doing so, shoved her instrument into my pupil and really hurt me. This is just where this story starts!
When we got into the surgeon’s room—it just got worse, (please remember, as this is happening, I am literally in jeopardy of going permanently blind in the injured eye, and this is the guy who can help me). When the doctor came into the room, he was obviously irritated and in an aggressive state of mind. We could hear through the wall in the room that he was having conflict with another patient, and it was not going well.
Without doing a personal re-set—he came into my room and unleashed his irritation all over me. The eye exam on my left eye consisted of him shining a very bright light into my dilated eye, shoving a large Q-Tip stick into my eyelid, while instructing me to “look into the pressure”—however, he gave me no warning or explanation before beginning.
So, when he began the procedure—I yelled out in pain and jumped! This was when he really got mad. There is nothing as wonderful as when a doctor is literally yelling at you about how you are wrong, and how you are going to go blind unless you let him help you, and with a scowl on his face!
Doc then informed me that I needed a minute to rest, that he was going to leave for a few minutes, and that he would return to complete the examination – oh joy!
That was when my sweet wife looked at me and said… “baby, lets pray.” She then asked God to help me, to improve the situation, and more directly, to help the doctor to re-set his spirit before returning to the room. And then it happened – peace…
The man who re-entered the room was a completely new person in every way. He was calm, gentle, kind, patient, and determined to thoroughly communicate about each and every step of the examination; it was indeed a miracle. I left that room and had to go into laser surgery with him, which was scary and painful – but he remained gracious and kind, Thank You Jesus!
This journey is far from over – I had to have another laser surgery on my left eye last week; and it remains in God’s hands what will become of my vision when all is said and done. God and I are talking about it, on a daily basis, and I am at peace. However – come what may – I will never forget the moment that my heavenly father moved on the heart of my doctor and changed everything for the better. Prayer changes everything!!!
I have several testimonies about praying first in certain circumstances, and how those prayers brought about incredible miracles. I really want to share them with you, and for the next few months, my columns will consist of these stories. I cannot wait!!! So, until the next time – God bless and I love you!