Ridgell's Originals

It was minor surgery to repair a hernia.  Yes, I admit it.  I had old man surgery.  I heard lots of phrases like "now that you are older", "you're not a kid anymore", and "you have to be more careful".  So we decided to do minor day surgery.

Except, they put me to sleep.  Somehow that didn't seem minor.  And they made me sign some form that basically said it was OK if I died during surgery.  Well, that's not exactly what it said but that's what I got out of it.

And the anesthesiologist asked why the echo cardiogram (and the ones he saw on file) all show an abnormality.  Yes, I have some odd thing about my heart but all the stress tests come out OK so it is probably something I have had all my life.  But still, he had to say that right before they knock me out?

And you know it really was minor, and obviously I didn't die because I am writing this..

But here are some things I thought about that morning.

Would I change anything if I knew I was going to die?  Nope.  Not really.  If I knew today was my last day here, I wouldn't do much different.  Love God and my family, talk about Jesus and try to live like him.  Yeah, pretty much what I try to do every day.

Is my family going to be OK if I die?  Sure.  I like seeing what God is doing in the kid's lives.  And boy is it fun to enjoy the five grandkids.  And Marsha and really have a neat life together.  But it's not like I would never see them again.  And the most important legacy I can give is faith.  And they've all got that.  And they would take care of each other.  Our community of faith would surround them and care for them.

But what about all my ministry?  Preaching and shepherding?  It would be silly of me to think I am indispensable to what God is doing in this world.  None of us are.  God will always raise up servants to do his will.  

So what am I going to do differently after surgery?  Nothing.  I'll do the Jesus thing till I die.  When my body gets too old to keep up this pace, I'll do what I can.  When I can't do, I'll spend my time praying (learned that one from our parents).  If I lose my mind -- and odds are high I will -- then Marsha will take care of me as a living witness of faithfulness.

So I realized I'm pretty much doing what God made me to do.  Wouldn't change much about how life is.

Oh, except for this.  Because Marsha, Julie and Jamie (our two nurse daughters), and my Doctors seem to think it is a big deal... I will remember that I need to be careful dragging deer, cutting wood, working at the farm, wrestling grandsons, and lifting things that are heavier than I am.

So thanks God for taking care of my minor surgery.  And I'll just keep on keeping on till you take me home.