Another World

Today I went with some of the members of my Sunday School class to the CVICU at The Levine Children's Hospital to take gifts to the wonderful nurses who give so much of themselves daily as they care for the children in that unit. It was much different than my normal visits as I usually go by myself when I take donated blankets and socks, or bereavement items for the families in the unit. I usually hug the necks of a few of my friends and scoot back home.

Today I was with friends - who were great! They were so supportive of the work The Maeghan & Heidi Heart Foundation does in the unit as well as showed love and encouragement to the nurses by giving them gifts.

I am always reminded that there are families who are only 30 minutes from my home yet they are living in another world. I live in a world were most of my thoughts lately are about laundry, when to go to the pool this week, and what to cook for dinner. They live in a world were their thoughts are about ventilators, pain medications, open heart surgeries, and dressing in sterile gowns before they can touch the hands of their baby.

I lived in that world four years ago. Sometimes it seems like yesterday and other times it seems we have lived a life time since medical terminology was a part of our daily conversation. A visit to that unit always puts things in perspective. I don't miss those days but I miss the one we were with during those days - Maeghan. It is so hard sometimes that the end of that other world left us without the youngest of our three children here at home with us talking about laundry and dinner.

I know that God is sovereign in his plan for her and she did receive her healing in heaven. I also know that living in another world for a season makes this world much different. I walked into that world as one person and walked out as a changed person. A person who knows the Lord more intimately than I ever imagined possible. Whose trust and faith in the Lord has been refined. Who knows that God is good and the source of my hope, strength, and refuge.

But what if daily we could see another world of -

• hunger - would we be more thankful of the bounty during our meals.
• nakedness - would we be more thankful for the abundance in our closets.
• disease and sickness - would we be more thankful for our health and physical ability to move, walk, and live an active lifestyle.
• poverty - would we be more thankful for the number on our bank statement instead of complaining about what that number isn't.
• solitude - would we be more thankful for the family and friends that fill our days and bring great joy into our lives.
• religious oppression - would be more thankful for the freedom to worship together with other believers and have more than one copy of God's word on our bookshelves.

"let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe," Hebrews 12:28b

Lord, thank you for allowing me to take a glimpse into another world today - a reminder of what you have done in my life and when you carried me through that world a few years ago. May I show tremendous gratitude to you for the blessings of my life. May I faithfully pray for those who live their lives in other worlds. You are the abundance in my life Lord! I love you, Amen.