HOW GOD TURNED A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE FOR ME

You know, sometimes we need circumstances in our lives so God can 
remind us that He hears and answers our prayers. In the early stages 
of an issue or problem, we can be taken out of our comfort zone, but
later we can fully appreciate His presence. I had one of those 
“circumstances” in my life several years ago.

I went to an appointment with my cardiologist and when he read my EKG, 
he left the examining room and called one of his colleagues to let him 
know that my heart rate was way too high. His colleague told him that 
he was already at the hospital and to send me over - he thought he could 
work me in for a heart ablation procedure.

In street language, the heart has an electrical control center and 
sometimes another spot of the heart starts trying to take control as 
well. The ablation procedure involves going through a vein in the groin,
finding the rogue control center, and “zapping it”. Of course anything 
involving the heart is not a minor issue (at least in my mind).
 
My wife drove me to the hospital, they prepped me and we waited 
over 4 hours only to be told they could not do the procedure that 
day...they rescheduled for 3 days later. When I arrived on Friday,
we waited for 4.5 hours before I was taken to the operation room 
for the procedure.

I have a type A personality and can develop anxieties easily, and 
especially when something takes me out of my comfort zone. Long waiting 
times do not help either. In addition, I could not eat anything for many 
hours on Tuesday and again on Friday. With type 2 diabetes, going long 
periods of time without food can create additional problems. Needless to 
say, I had ample opportunities to develop anxieties...but I didn’t!

I know myself well enough to know that the only thing preventing anxiety 
for me is divine intervention. I had many friends and acquaintances who 
were praying, as I  was. In addition, on Thursday night my wife joined 
with a doctor at West Clinic and some folks at his church for a prayer 
session that included prayers for me. Incidentally, he has a prayer group 
that focuses on deliverance of people from the demons within.  On Friday 
morning, my loving, compassionate and concerned wife prayed for me before 
we left home for the procedure.

During the entire week I had an unusual calmness and confidence that 
everything would be okay. Whenever the “anxiety bug” would come around, 
it was immediately shooed away and it was like a voice was telling me 
to focus on the positives of having the procedure. When I started having 
concerns about my blood sugar after going without food for so long, the 
nurse checked it and it was lower than it has been all year; but not too 
low and causing problems...it was basically perfect!

I am convinced that God used this opportunity to remind me of His presence. 
I have found that it can be difficult to think of enough words to thank 
Him and praise Him for His graciousness. 

I don’t believe the procedure could have been any better. The doctor hunted 
down the problem, zapped it, and tested it 3 times to ensure it was 
effective. When I first came out of sedation I did not feel good at all and 
wondered how long the recovery would take, but twenty minutes later I had 
no doubt that having the procedure was the right decision, and more 
importantly, once again God had shown me His presence. Before the procedure, 
my heart rate could reach 150 while resting, but after the procedure it 
was 72 after walking up the stairs!

I cannot begin to explain the calmness I had throughout the time spent 
“out of my comfort zone”, but it was obvious that God was in control. 
Yes, God is still in the business of answering prayers, so like the 
apostle Paul said, we need to pray without ceasing; we need to pray at 
all times; we need to pray believing; we need to thank God often for His
blessings and His concern for us. We should also ask Him to calm us in 
the midst of our storms, and to help us focus on the positives rather 
than the negatives of our issues and problems.

I am very thankful  for my family (and especially my wife who is a prayer 
warrior) and friends, for their prayers, and I am happy to report all 
prayers were answered. 

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