Night & Day

The difference in the hospital my father was in Jan, Feb, and March and the hospital he is in now is like night and day. This hospital is only a few stories, no valet parking service, and rarely is anyone on the elevator as I come and go. When he was in St Luke's, I used the valet service because it was the same price as the parking garage down the street, he was on floors from the basement to 20 something. Some elevators were so crowded I would wait for another one. I never saw anyone I knew unless they were visiting dad (with the exception of clergy I know from Community of Hope). At Oak Bend, I can usually park near the front door of the hospital and I see people from the area I know as I walk through the lobby.

One thing that is the same is the sad people I see as they enter and exit the hospital. They have a friend or family member who is ill and they don't have hope. The hopelessness is not because the patient is terminal, it's because they don't have hope in the Lord.

They may believe in Him, but they don't believe Him because they don't know what He says. I never thought as a life long Episcopalian (who really does not call herself Episcopalian any longer) my heart felt message for people everywhere would be: Read your Bible, know what God says, know that He can do what He says He can do. But it makes sense, coming out of an denomination in which leadership does not believe the Bible is the Word of God, many priests and members also do not believe the Bible is alive and active, sharper than a two edged sword, I know it's important and vital. The Word brings life. The Bible is a love letter to you and me and everyone who has ever lived and who will ever live.

We are so fortunate, we can buy Bibles in grocery stores. My cousin sneaks Bibles across the border from South Korea into North Korea. He risks his life to bring the Word of God to people who are so hungry to know Yaweh, the Great I Am. So as we live in a country in which there is freedom of religion, use that freedom, join a good Bible study, join a great church, and read your Bible. Godly friendships are so important and many godly friendships are born in Bible study and prayer groups. (You know I have to mention prayer once, I always thought that was my life message - pray, prayer, praying, etc)

Know what God says, so when the day of evil comes you are prepared to stand.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

PS:

I passed 2 men on horseback tonight as I exited the hospital parking lot, you might think I would say I wouldn't pass people on horseback around the Medical Center in Houston, but that would not be true....you never know where you will see Texans riding horses....