My near-death experience. I was just released from the hospital yesterday, having had surgery on December 11. It all started with a sore throat, mis-diagnosed as non-strep in early December. By time I got to the ER and then to emergency surgery, the infection was so huge that they found a liter of puss around my heart.
I guess the purpose of this email is to cause everyone of you to thank God for what you have and avoid making MONEY the ultimate goal of your life.
My chances of surviving the surgery were given as 40% to my wife or 0% if it were refused. She of coarse agreed, and begin phoning friends and family on the East Coast to ask for prayer. Halfway through surgery she began phoning our church friends ( horizonsd.org ) in San Diego including all the members of our "Home Fellowship" or Bible Study. Most of them skipped work and came to the ICU waiting room at UCSD Thornton hospital for constant prayer on my behalf. I am so grateful for literally hundreds of people who prayed for my recovery, but mostly for the God who listens to and enjoys the prayers of His children.
My recovery was stupendously fast. The 2nd day after surgery I was writing notes to one of Horizon's pastors who is in charge of Horizon's website (above), suggesting something new. I had a trach, 7 chest tubes, suction, nose oxygen, and a feeding tube. The doctor's estimated 6-8 weeks in the hospital, but Nick, the area leader of home fellowships was led to pray specifically that I would be released on January 4, 4 1/2 weeks, give or take a day. The group prayed for that earnestly, but this was still before Christmas! I was released yesterday, January 4 at 5 PM!
I remember praying right after my surgery that I would be able to SING on Christmas. When I prayed that, I had no clue how serious my condition was, that I had 10 hours of surgery, or that they were estimating 6-8 weeks in the hospital. That prayer was answered when my Home Fellowship showed up at my bedside on the Friday before Christmas. My son Kyle played the guitar and they sang half a dozen Christmas songs and worship songs. They were astounded to hear me singing through the trach.
Each Sunday I would get 1 or 2 new Horizon sermon tapes to listen to. I heard Pastor Mike asking for prayer for John Petzinger, "one of our home fellowship leaders and his lovely family from NJ." The request was repeated in churches in NJ and Chicago because of friends who believe in prayer and the criss-cross of emails around the country.
Meanwhile, Nick and my Home Fellowship continued to pray for a December 4 release, exactly as it eventually happened.
In fact, last night, two hours after I got home, the Home Fellowship showed up to worship and praise God. I listened to part of the worship from another room, then walked in, turned on the keyboard and led them in the song "Good To Me."
I cry out for your hand of mercy to heal me
I am weak, and I need your love to free me
Oh, Lord, my rock, my strength in weakness,
Come rescue me, Oh Lord...
You are my hope! Your promise never fails me.
And my desire is to follow You forever.
For You are good, for You are good, for You are good to me.
For You are good, for You are good, for You are good to me.
For You are good, for You are good, for You are good to me.
...
I see totally ignoring the stock market and concentrating on more important things did not do bad for my portfolio either!
Surely I would have traded out of my positions long before they quintupled.
Petz |
