Today I had a lighter office workload so I headed out to visit a few people. One was a former church attendee who now lives 70 miles north in Erie with his daughter and son-in-law. He (Dave) lives with them because he has Multiple Sclerosis and is not able to walk. I try to visit him every 4-5 months just to see how he is doing.
As we were talking I asked him about his recent procedure to have three stents put in. Dave told me that all went fine, but that his health concerns are nothing compared to mine. I reassured him that his are just as important and that I was glad that he has more strength.
After my hour visit I said my goodbye and headed for lunch at Golden Corral. When I walked in the door the obvious was spoken, "Boy, are you tall!" I smile and said, "Yes, I am." Then that question that I imagine so many Marfan patients get, "Did you play basketball?" I again smile and told him that I was never able to play because of a heart condition, but that I was the tallest water boy in the league! (For real, no joke, I was the water boy, and I was the tallest)
After I found my seat, my waitress kept on calling me sweetie so I made sure she received a nice tip! But while I was eating, a husband and wife sat down across the room for lunch and the husband reached over and took his wife's hand and they prayed over their lunch. I thought that was great and after I had finished my meal, I went over and told them how I appreciated them praying over the food they were about to eat.
It turns out that he was a pastor from the Jamestown, NY area. We had some nice conversation and he posed a question to me. It wasn't if I played basketball, but he asked me, "Is Jesus the Lord of you life?" To that I responded, "Yes sir, He is."
That's the question that matters. Would have I liked to play basketball? Yes, by all means. But the more important question we need to be asking each other is if our hearts and lives are right with Christ.
I then visited two more people locally in a nursing home and ended up talking to someone I had never met before for 20 minutes about faith, people we both knew, and just joking around. I also had one woman who worked there jump when I came around the corner because I was so tall. . .I frightened her. She jumped and again stated the obvious, "Boy, he's tall."
It can be a crazy life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so happy that God has me right where I am supposed to be and that Jesus is the Lord of my life.
As we were talking I asked him about his recent procedure to have three stents put in. Dave told me that all went fine, but that his health concerns are nothing compared to mine. I reassured him that his are just as important and that I was glad that he has more strength.
After my hour visit I said my goodbye and headed for lunch at Golden Corral. When I walked in the door the obvious was spoken, "Boy, are you tall!" I smile and said, "Yes, I am." Then that question that I imagine so many Marfan patients get, "Did you play basketball?" I again smile and told him that I was never able to play because of a heart condition, but that I was the tallest water boy in the league! (For real, no joke, I was the water boy, and I was the tallest)
After I found my seat, my waitress kept on calling me sweetie so I made sure she received a nice tip! But while I was eating, a husband and wife sat down across the room for lunch and the husband reached over and took his wife's hand and they prayed over their lunch. I thought that was great and after I had finished my meal, I went over and told them how I appreciated them praying over the food they were about to eat.
It turns out that he was a pastor from the Jamestown, NY area. We had some nice conversation and he posed a question to me. It wasn't if I played basketball, but he asked me, "Is Jesus the Lord of you life?" To that I responded, "Yes sir, He is."
That's the question that matters. Would have I liked to play basketball? Yes, by all means. But the more important question we need to be asking each other is if our hearts and lives are right with Christ.
I then visited two more people locally in a nursing home and ended up talking to someone I had never met before for 20 minutes about faith, people we both knew, and just joking around. I also had one woman who worked there jump when I came around the corner because I was so tall. . .I frightened her. She jumped and again stated the obvious, "Boy, he's tall."
It can be a crazy life, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am so happy that God has me right where I am supposed to be and that Jesus is the Lord of my life.