“A Fist Full of Straws”

 Life is full of pain and struggle. Jesus provides what you need. Jesus provides Eternal Life.

Copyright CaptBlackEagle 2020

I had to get blood taken for a test my Doctor insisted on. I was sitting in the lab office full of other people in the same boat. None of us were happy.

As the office became all gloom, suddenly a blood curdling scream came from the direction of the main door. It jolted everyone in the room. A lady was pulling in a large stroller backwards through the narrow door. We could tell she was struggling, but there was no way we could reach around the stroller to make it easy. The screams continued.

As the occupant of the stroller came into view, still screaming, was a girl about 12, or 13. Her face was contorted in a strange way. In her left hand she was clutching a fist full of straws. You could tell her mother was embarrassed by the screaming.

The only thing I could think of was to say, as calmly as possible, “Hey there beautiful”. Immediately the little girl stopped screaming and her face lit up like a warm light and full of love. All of the stress in that room just melted away. She had the smile of an angel and would not take her eyes away from me. So, I just kept talking.

“What a beautiful smile”, I said. She just kept smiling and looking at me.

As I talked with her I felt an unbelievable calm come over me. I looked around at the others there and I could tell they were affected by it as well. A song popped into my head, no I didn’t sing it.

This little light of mine

I’m gonna let it shine

It just kept going through my head. On the way out the little girl was sitting with her mother across the office. She looked at me with that same smile. Clutching a fist full of straws.

The next week I had appointments with three doctors. The month before all three had nothing good to say. The first doctor was my kidney doctor.

My kidney doctor was surprised by the lab results. He said, “Well, things are no worse, but I expect they will get worse in the next 30 days.”

My diabetes doctor was surprised by the lab results. He and I had never spoken of Jesus, but this time he said, “Jesus was with you, your A1C is 5.5” I will order another test just to be sure. He did, it also came back at 5.5. That is a great number.

My heart doctor said, “I understand what your kidney doctor is thinking, but keep in mind those results are just labels. Keep doing whatever it is you are doing.”

That was almost a year ago. My numbers about my kidneys are above the danger levels from before. Just don’t be too happy, they can change in a minute, but I am ready for that.

The diabetes doctor is constantly asking what I did to keep my numbers low, but not too low. I just said, “Jesus did it.”

My heart doctor and I have checkups. Normally 5 minutes talking about fishing. I guess my ticker is ticking.

My health is not the issue for me. At least not physical health. Spiritual health is the most important. I know that I am a sinner and through the grace of God and the salvation of Jesus; I’m just passing through this life. When God is done with me, I’ll be out the door to eternity.