24 August 2007

What you don’t know can kill you. I didn’t feel 100% before I left, but four days into my stay in Haiti, I felt miserable.  For the next ten days I went from miserable, to really miserable, to mostly dead!  Well, maybe not quite that bad. I drank lots of water, tried to take it easy, and attempted to stay cool in the 100 degree heat, to no avail.

Finally, I crawled . . . stepped off the plane in Harrisburg and the next day doctors began their work on me.  I learned that I was badly dehydrated and that my blood pressure and heart rate were low enough to make those annoying beeps on hospital machinery. At least I now had a good excuse to be dizzy! Most importantly, and much to my surprise, my kidneys had completely stopped functioning - "acute renal failure" for you medical types.  Ah yes, there is a reason why I had no need of potty breaks.

So, rather than coming home to my cozy warm bed and a bowl of popcorn, I spent the night in the ER and then two days in the hospital. This . . . . all because two little organs in my body decided to check out. Like everything else in our bodies, kidneys need blood and water to function properly (I hope I’m not getting too technical here). When they don’t get it, they slowly grind to a halt. When this happens, all kinds of nasty stuff builds up in your body, and ultimately, your body also checks out.  Ever so silently those two cute little organs were taking a vacation.  I’m glad they decided to come home when they did!

Okay, you knew it was coming.  Yes, this reminds me of life.  Every important part of our lives requires certain nutrients in order to survive and thrive. If you are not providing that nourishment, chances are, that function is quietly dying. So what’s up with you? 

How about your spirit?  Like your kidneys, you can’t see it, but it is certainly there.  Are you feeding it?  Is it being hydrated with living water from God?  Are you reading His word regularly?  Are you speaking with Him often?  Are you serving and sharing with others? Or, what about your marriage, is it dehydrated?  Is your mate first place in your life? Do you have friendships that are silently shutting down because you no longer nourish them?  Are your children silently shutting you out because they know your best energy goes elsewhere?

It’s really not that complicated.  Check your blood pressure.  Drink lots of water. Go to the doctor when something doesn’t seem to be working properly. What you don’t know can kill you!  But now you know. So what are you going to do about it?

By the way, I would like to thank my kidneys for the silent, critical work they perform in obscurity.  We now have a much closer relationship. I’ll never take them for granted again. So, here’s a glass of cool, refreshing water. Health and long life to our kidneys!  Cheers!

Sharing the Journey,
Pastor Don