Judi Wheat / Ministry Assistant KidzPark
Many years ago, when I was 20, I had a clinical rotation at Roswell Park Cancer Institute as part of my education requirement in the pursuit of my nursing degree. It was an experience I was dreading, because when I heard the word, CANCER, I thought no hope, only death. When the clinical rotation was completed, I discovered it was the best experience of my whole nursing education; I walked away knowing that there is hope in times of great distress, pain, and a very uncertain prognosis.
Now, fast forward to a few years ago, when I became very ill and was admitted to a hospital with a very uncertain prognosis. I can still remember seeing my doctor, a surgeon, standing at the end of my hospital bed informing my husband and me that I was a very poor surgical risk and could die in the operating room. When faced with the real possibility of imminent death, it causes one to pause and take a quick inventory of one’s life. I experienced such peace and hope, because I was surrounded by the prayers of many; my hope was in Jesus and no matter the outcome, I knew I would either be with Jesus or see Him when my purpose had been accomplished here on earth. He gave me such peace and my hope was completely in Him. As in the song, In Christ Alone, “In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song…”
A few short years after that experience, we received a call on a Saturday morning that our daughter-in-law was in labor and she was asking us to come quickly to be there with her. She was many miles away in Baltimore, only in her 26th week of pregnancy, with an emergency C-section about to happen, and we needed to travel to be with her. Just as we were about to leave the house, the mail was delivered to our home at an earlier time than usual. In the mail was a card, which I placed on the sun visor, and kept looking at and reading to myself and my husband throughout our journey to Baltimore. It stated, “Good Morning! This is God; I will be handling all of your problems today. I will not need your help. So relax … And have a great day!” Such simple words, but they held such promise and a hope, a confident expectation, that everything was going to turn out as God intended. When we arrived at the hospital and were escorted to the NICU, there in an isolette was this tiny, perfectly formed little boy, weighing 2 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 14 inches long. Today, he is a very active boy ready to take on the world.
I am so fortunate to have had the above experiences; though difficult at the time, they have helped me grow in my faith, shown me the hope that exists in Jesus Christ, and helped prepare me for my staff position at EHWC. I have the wonderful opportunity of serving alongside volunteers and staff to help lay the foundation for our preschoolers to begin to know their Heavenly Father. The expressions on those young faces of anticipation, hope, joy, curiosity, and a love of life come alive each weekend as they listen to the Bible story and participate in worship. God is truly a God of HOPE.
Now, fast forward to a few years ago, when I became very ill and was admitted to a hospital with a very uncertain prognosis. I can still remember seeing my doctor, a surgeon, standing at the end of my hospital bed informing my husband and me that I was a very poor surgical risk and could die in the operating room. When faced with the real possibility of imminent death, it causes one to pause and take a quick inventory of one’s life. I experienced such peace and hope, because I was surrounded by the prayers of many; my hope was in Jesus and no matter the outcome, I knew I would either be with Jesus or see Him when my purpose had been accomplished here on earth. He gave me such peace and my hope was completely in Him. As in the song, In Christ Alone, “In Christ alone my hope is found; He is my light, my strength, my song…”
A few short years after that experience, we received a call on a Saturday morning that our daughter-in-law was in labor and she was asking us to come quickly to be there with her. She was many miles away in Baltimore, only in her 26th week of pregnancy, with an emergency C-section about to happen, and we needed to travel to be with her. Just as we were about to leave the house, the mail was delivered to our home at an earlier time than usual. In the mail was a card, which I placed on the sun visor, and kept looking at and reading to myself and my husband throughout our journey to Baltimore. It stated, “Good Morning! This is God; I will be handling all of your problems today. I will not need your help. So relax … And have a great day!” Such simple words, but they held such promise and a hope, a confident expectation, that everything was going to turn out as God intended. When we arrived at the hospital and were escorted to the NICU, there in an isolette was this tiny, perfectly formed little boy, weighing 2 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 14 inches long. Today, he is a very active boy ready to take on the world.
In the lyrics of the song, “The Reason For the World” by Matthew West, are these words:
“Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home.”
“Maybe the reason for the pain
Is so we would pray for strength
And maybe the reason for the strength
Is so that we would not lose hope
And maybe the reason for all hope
Is so that we could face the world
And the reason for the world
Is to make us long for home.”
I am so fortunate to have had the above experiences; though difficult at the time, they have helped me grow in my faith, shown me the hope that exists in Jesus Christ, and helped prepare me for my staff position at EHWC. I have the wonderful opportunity of serving alongside volunteers and staff to help lay the foundation for our preschoolers to begin to know their Heavenly Father. The expressions on those young faces of anticipation, hope, joy, curiosity, and a love of life come alive each weekend as they listen to the Bible story and participate in worship. God is truly a God of HOPE.