A Week of Tests

January 19-23

This week I took another CAT, PET and Bone Marrow test. The following Sunday I asked the people at church how many had ever had a Cat Scan. Many of them had not. So I told them that I could give them a scan right there. I put on the screen a picture of a cat with its eyes going back and forth and told them to stare at the cat for 10 seconds. Then following this picture a sign came up that said "Thank you." Then it said, "Your cat scan is now complete." In the next picture was a picture of a cat just laughing its fool head off! It got a laught anyhow. Former Pastor Ralph Canfield from Washington state wrote me and said, "How did you know that I needed a cat scan?" I guess he can now tell his doctor that he got the test and he won't have to pay any co-pay! Then he said he was praying for me and gave me a quote from Dr. R.T. Ketcham who said, "We have a Heavenly Father who is too wise ever to make a mistake, and too good ever to be unkind." A great quote.

The most interesting test was the bone marrow test. Actually, I had a sense of anxiety this week when I went in for the test. You see, I had one of these tests about 3 years ago. It was not fun. The doctor told me that what they were going to do was to go in through my back side where I sit and he was going to take his needle and go down until they hit bone and then break some of it off and bring the broken piece back out. He said that it was painful and I needed to just lie on my stomach and hold on to the bars in front of me. I said, “Aren’t you going to use an anesthetic?” He said, “Nope, Otherwise I can’t feel when I hit the bone but the good news is, it only lasts for 7 seconds.” And I have to tell you, that I think that was the longest 7 seconds I have ever experienced. So, when I went in this time, the woman who was going to torture me asked how I was doing. I said, “I am a little apprehensive about this” and she asked, “Why?” I told her about my last experience and told her that I have told a number of my friends about this and each one of them has told 10 other people how painful this was. At this she said, “There will be no pain. I use an anesthetic and this will be nothing like what you experienced before. And sure enough, the whole procedure was a piece of cake. There was a night and day difference betwen the two. And when it was over, She said, “Will you now go back and tell your friends that it was really nothing?” And I said, “I will tell my whole church about it and I am sure that they will tell 10 others that it was nothing to be anxious about.” So I told the church the following Sunday and used this as an illustration to them that the lesson I learned from this was—There are times we are anxious about what we are going to go through but often when we come out the other end, it was anything to worry about.

Also, I received an email on Sunday morning from Ed Biser in the midwest and it fit what I was speaking about from Psalm 16. Listen to what the poem said. It was entitled, A Bend in the Road. A Bend In The Road:

Each day we have trials or triumphs,
Have joy or burdens to bear.
Whether days are stressful or calm
I know God's love is there.

I won't let dark clouds surround me,
I'll find a brighter day.
I'll leave my doubts behind me as,
I journey on my way.


I know that He does lead me in,
The pathway I may take.
Because I've come to Him in prayer,
In decisions I must make.

Now there’s a bend in the road but,
God's presence will remain.
He'll help me get where I belong,
And make me glad I came.