From the Rising of the Sun

"Blessed be the name of the Lord

from this time on and forevermore. 

From the rising of the sun to its setting,

the name of the Lord is to be praised."

(from Psalm 113)

The rising of the Sun began around 2:30 a.m. when I felt a strong discomfort in my stomach causing me to break out in a cold sweat.

I was tempted to wake Elaine and call for an ambulance, but she had a hard day, so I let her sleep.

By 6 a.m. the discomfort subsided and I no longer had a cold sweat.

I got up, showered, ate breakfast, but the discomfort remained, so I made a doctor's appointment.

After his exam, he explained there could be one of several issues, but this was nothing to fool with. Did he want me to call an ambulance or could I drive to the hospital.

The sun continued to rise as I drove to the hospital and called Elaine telling her the situation.

I was given a brief, thorough exam by a surgeon, admitted and located in a room

Nurses, PC’s, arrived, took vitals, hooked me up and drew blood.

An African chaplain, with a heavy African dialect arrived praying and blessing me.

The sun was now setting, I was prepped for gallbladder removal, the time had come to “praise the name of the Lord”.

My reflection is simple: the hospitalization and recovery created a time to praise God.

In our daily lives, God reaches to us in our humanity in the seemingly simple, caring events of others, “from this time on and forevermore”.