ONCE UPON A TIME IN A HOSPITAL IN A BED

ONCE UPON A TIME

IN A VERY BIG HOSPITAL
IN A RATHER SHORT BED,
A WOMAN ASKS HER LORD'S
UNCEASING FORGIVENESS
FOR WHAT SHE HAD DONE.
YOU SEE,
SHE HAD TAKEN A TESTIMONIAL OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE
ONE OF HER PRECIOUS NURSES
SAD.
THIS NURSE
WAS HURTING,
BUT ON THE INSIDE,
WHERE MOST PEOPLE KEEP IT.
BUT,
UNFORTUNATELY,
THIS WOMAN
IN THIS RATHER SHORT HOSPITAL BED
WAS HURTING
ON THE OUTSIDE
FOR ABOUT THE 100TH TIME
THAT MONTH.
BUT NOW THAT WOMAN
IN THAT RATHER SHORT HOSPITAL BED
HAS,
HOPEFULLY,
LEARNED HER LESSON.
AND THAT IS TO TESTIFY
NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE
BECAUSE JESUS DOESN'T LIKE IT
WHEN HIS PEOPLE MAKE
OTHER PEOPLE
CRY.

MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN

MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN,

ALTHOUGH MOST,

EVEN CHRISTIANS, WILL BE ADAMANT THEY DON'T.

AND THIS STORY I'M ABOUT TO TELL YOU

WILL HAVE YOU WONDERING

WHY I BELIEVE

THIS THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME

WAS IN REALITY

A MIRACLE.

 

 

I'M NOT QUITE SURE I AM DOING SUCH,
CONTINUING IN THIS VERY SAME SHY VEIN,

SO IF YOU DON'T MIND,

I'LL BE A LITTLE REDUNDANT HERE,

AND TELL YOU THAT I'VE HAD TWO ACCIDENTS

TO PLACE ME IN THE POSITION

I FOUND MYSELF IN WHICH TO BE,

NEVER BEING TOO SCARED OR RELUCANT TO ADD
(WE ALL MUST BE READY TO TELL THE TRUTH EVENTUALLY, IF JUST FOR OUR OWN SANITY)

ALL OF THE MANY SCARS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED

BY MY OWN FAMILY.

ALTHOUGH, I'M SURE IF YOU WERE TO ASK THEM,

THEY WILL EITHER SAY THAT'S ALL MALARKY,

OR DENY EVERYTHING I'M ABOUT TO SNEAK OUT OF THE CLOSET

UNTIL THEIR LAST BREATH.

 

OKAY, SO WHERE WAS I?

 

OH, YES,

I JUST GOT HOME A FEW HOURS AGO

FROM ONE OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS.

I HAD TRIPPED TWICE IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS,

AND, TRUST ME,

ONCE I AM ON THE FLOOR,

THE ONLY THING TO DO

IS TO CALL OUR BRAVE BOYS IN BLUE,

A LITTLE EMBARRISSING,

AS BY NOW THEY KNOW THE NAMES OF MY DOGS.
(ELVIS, MY SWEET CUDDLY DACHSUND,
AND MY BORDER COLLIE MIX, COCO (ONE OF THE MOST SMARTEST BREEDS - SHE ACTUALLY LOVES TO WATCH TV.)

THEY ARE ALWAYS VERY KIND, THOUGH,
(THE BRAVE YOUNG MEN IN BLUE I MEAN,
NOT ELVIS AND COCO)

AND PROS TO THE VERY DEEPEST CORE.

SO THEY DROVE ME TO MY CHOICE OF HOSPITALS,

THE ONE THAT ACCEPTS MEDI-CAL,

AND BY THE WAY,

ONE OF THE BEST IN THE INLAND EMPIRE.

I EVEN HAD MY OWN ROOM, EVENTUALLY.
 

BUT THERE I WAS STUCK IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM,

IN MY OWN BED AND CUBICLE,
THANK THE GOOD LORD,
(BECAUSE, BELIEVE YOU AND ME, I HAVE BEEN IN MUCH WORSE SITUATIONS.)

I WAS STUCK IN THE ER FOR TWO WHOLE NIGHTS AND DAYS.

ONE WOMAN CAME IN SCREAMING,

AT THE VERY TOP OF HER LUNGS,

WITHOUT UTTERING A THING;
JUST SCREAMING,
AND SCREAMING,
AND SCREAMING.

I DID FEEL REALLY BAD FOR HER,

AND PRAYED FOR EVERYONE AROUND ME,
SO AS, QUITE HONESTLY,
TO GET MY OWN MIND OFF OF MY OWN PAIN.

YOU KNOW,
EXCACTLY WHY
DO SO MANY PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
TREAT MOST OF THE WORKERS IN HOSPITALS LIKE DIRT?
I KNOW YOU'RE IN PAIN,
BUT SHOULDN'T WE BE TREATING OTHERS
THE WAY WE WISH THEM TO TREAT US?

AND ALSO THE MAN IN THE NEXT CUBICLE OVER

SNORED LIKE A WILD BOAR.
NOT THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD A WILD BOAR SNORE.

BUT A WORKER THERE WAS NICE ENOUGH

TO GIVE ME SOME EAR PLUGS AND A BLINDFOLD.

MOST ALL OF THESE WORKERS,

MOST ESPECIALLY THE INTERNS,

ARE ALWAYS VERY EAGER TO LEARN,

AND REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE THE VERY FIRST THING THEY ARE TAUGHT IS TO TREAT THE PATIENT WITH A MODICUM OF EMPATHY.
(I SAY THIS BECAUSE FOR SOME ODD REASON,
THE NURSES ON THE OTHER FLOORS
TREAT THIS EMPATHY THING AS IF IT WAS A CHORE.

 

SO TWO DAYS SLOWLY COME AND GO,

AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS BEING SENT HOME,

WHEN I WAS TOLD I HAD MISUNDERSTOOD,

AND THEY EXTENDED ME THE COURTESY
OF EXTENDING MY STAY BY A FEW MORE DAYS.

THEY SAID THAT IT WAS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY,

BUT AFTER BEING VISITED BY SEVERAL SPECIALISTS,

IT FINALLY DAWNED ON ME

(HEY, PARDON ME, BUT I WAS BORN A BLOND),

THAT THEY HAD OTHER PLANS FOR ME.

 

SO TWO STRAPPING YOUNG MEN
A DAY LATER

CAME INTO MY FINALLY PRIVATE HOSPITAL ROOM AT SEPARTE TIMES,

(I COULD HAVE SWORN THEY WERE TWINS),

AND THE STEROTYPE OF ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS CERTAINLY FIT THEM.

AND THE INTERN WAS A VERY NICE MAN

WHO ACTUALLY RAN OUT OF MY ROOM AND QUICKLY BACK IN

SO HE COULD SET UP MY APPOINTMENT

SO MY TEAM COULD DECIDE THE BEST WAY TO PROCEED WITH MY SITUATION AND ME.

 

NOW, I'M NOT STUPID.

I KNOW THAT I STILL HAVE MAJOR MEDICAL PROBLEMS,

BUT OUR LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS.

YOU SEE, I'VE BEEN DRAGGING MY HEALS IN THE SAND FOR SEVERAL YEARS

AGAINST EVER HAVING LOW BACK SURGERY.

I WAS A MEDICAL HISTORIAN AT ONE TIME,

WHICH IS THE BEST JOB TO HAVE

IF YOU'RE AS FAST A TYPIST AS I AM.

(I'M NOT ONE TO BRAG,

BUT I CAN TYPE OVER 100 WORDS A MINUTE,

AT LEAST ON AN OLD MANUAL TYPEWRITER),

AND WANT TO OFFICIALLY

BE SNOOPY.
BUT AS A RESULT, I HAD HEARD WAY TOO MANY HORROR STORIES.

 

SO, THERE YOU GO.

NEVER GIVE UP ON OUR LORD.

AFTER ALL,

HE IS THE SAME

YESTERDAY,

TODAY

AND TOMORROW.

HE HAS NEVER CHANGED AND NEVER WILL.

BUT WE SURE HAVE

IF WE HAVE THE GALL

TO QUESTION SUCH A LOVING GOD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



FATE

WHY DO I EVEN TRY?

WHY DO I STRUGGLE TO WRITE,

TO SHARE AND BARE

MY INNERMOST FEARS

IF NO ONE IS LISTENING TO ME?

ALL I'VE EVER WANTED

IS TO HELP OTHERS

SO THEY DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES;

TO COMFORT THEM WHEN THEY ARE LOST,

LET THEM KNOW THEY ARE NEVER ALONE

AND WE ALL BLOW IT ONCE IN A WHILE.

NONE OF US IS PERFECT,

WE CANNOT WALK ON WATER,

AND GOD GAVE US FREE WILL FOR A REASON.

WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE

THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW

OR THE CROOKED PATH.

NEITHER ONE IS EASY,

BUT IF WE CHOOSE THE RIGHT WAY

AT LEAST WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE

THAT WE WILL BE CARRIED

WHEN THE GOING GETS ROUGH

AND WE CAN NO LONGER STAND

ON OUR OWN.

SO GET OFF THAT FENCE

AND MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

YOUR FATE

AWAITS.

 

 

OUT OF THE SHADOWS (RVD)

THAT WINDOW THAT I THOUGHT WAS OPENED

AFTER THE DOOR WAS CLOSED

MAY JUST HAVE BEEN MY IMAGINATION

RUNNING AWAY WITH ME,

FORCING ME TO LOSE MY DIGNITY.

OR MAYBE, GOD WILLING, THAT WINDOW MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETELY CLOSED

AND I MUST FIGHT FOR A WAY TO GET THROUGH

SO OTHERS CAN KNOW WHAT I KNOW.

WHICH IS THAT GOD LOVES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US EQUALLY.

 HE DOESN'T PLAY THE FAVORITE GAME,

THE GAME THAT HAPPENED IN MY FAMILY,

ME BEING SHOVED INTO THE CORNER

IN ORDER

THAT MY SISTER MAY RECEIVE THE LOVE AND COMFORT
SHE SO DESERVED
AND

THAT WAS POURED UPON HER BECAUSE OF HER DISABILITY.

THE AMAZING THING I HAVE LEARNED SINCE

IS
THAT GOD LOVES THE TWO OF US THE SAME.

THIS BRINGS ME COMFORT WHEN FLASHES OF MY CHILDHOOD RUN THROUGH MY BRAIN
LIKE A SCARY MOVIE
MY MOTHER FORCED ME TO WATCH ON TV
AS A CHEAP BABYSITTER.
I STILL SUFFER FROM THE INSECURITIES
AND EMOTIONAL PAIN
AS IF I WAS STILL THAT ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL,
WITH THE SUN-STREAKED CURLS,
HUDDLING IN THE DARK CORNER,
JUST WISHING FOR SOMEONE
TO CONVINCE HER SHE WAS LOVED.
PRAISE GOD FOR COMING INTO MY LIFE
AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE.
GOD KNEW I NEEDED A FATHER,
NOT TO MENTION A KING.
IF NOT, WHO KNOWS WHERE I MIGHT BE,
RATHER THAN MARRIED TO A CHRISTIAN MAN
THAT TREATS ME AS THE GOOD BOOK SAYS
AND THAT GIVES ME THE COURAGE
TO WRITE WHAT I WRITE,
DESPITE THOSE WHO WERE HERE
TO PROTECT ME 
HURT ME,
BOTH PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.
NO HARM
NO FOUL
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
THAT CAN COME OUR WAY
THAT WE CAN'T HANDLE
WITHOUT OUR LORD.
SO THAT IS THAT
AND,
NOT SORRY TO SAY,
I AM HERE TO STAY
AS LONG AS I KNOW
THAT I AM HELPING SOMEONE ELSE
FAR AWAY
TO FALL TO THEIR KNEES
AND THANK GOD AND PRAY.
SO OUT I COME FROM THE SHADOWS,
DISABILITY BE DARNED,
FOR I KNOW
NOW
THAT GOD IS 
THE ONLY ONE
IN CONTROL.

IF WISHES WERE FISHES (rvd)

I wish I could take back so many things,
travel in a time machine,
fix everything,
take a different road maybe.
But if I did that, would I be part of this tree,
this holy family?
Would I have turned to the Lord,
known His word,
if everything was perfect,
no problems of which to speak?
(I am such an English geek.)
Isn't it those very bad times
that compel us to turn to Him,
bring us to our knees
when we're in need?
Am I the only one
who looks back like this
and wonders how things would be
if I had gone a different way?
But then I think that this life on this earth
is just the beginning, not the end,
and in heaven,
who knows what can happen?
I will have a new chance
at happiness.

WEARY WARRIOR (rvd)

THE WEARY WARRIOR

STUMBLES ON A ROCK.

AND A HAND REACHES OUT,
UNEXPECTEDLY,

AND GENTLY HELPS HER UP.

SOMETIMES SHE IS CARRIED,

OTHER TIMES SHE WALKS THE PATH
WITH HER SAVIOR
HAND-IN-HAND,

THE PATH THAT WAS SET BEFORE HER

SO VERY LONG AGO.

HER CLOTHES ARE
DIRTY,
TON,
RIPPED.

HER FEET ARE SORE, BLISTERED
AND BLEEDING.

BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP HER

BECAUSE SHE KNOWS SHE IS CLOSE.

SHE WILL FIGHT THIS BATTLE,

STAY THIS COURSE,

WIN THE WAR.

THIS WEARY WARRIOR

IS NOT GOING AWAY
UNTIL SHE IS HOME.

I AM NOT AFRAID (REVISED AGAIN)

I AM NOT AFRAID
NOR
AM I ASHAMED.

SO GO AHEAD,

AND DO YOUR BEST,
CALL ME YOUR SILLY MISGUIDED NAMES
BEHIND MY BACK.
I'D BE WILLING TO BET
THAT MORE THAN A FEW OF YOU
HAVE BEEN
DRAWN IN,
CHRISTIANS, TOO.

YOU CANNOT STOP ME

FROM LOVING,
FOLLOWING
AND SERVING MY LORD.
I AM NOT AFRAID,
NOR AM I ASHAMED.

I AM ENFOLDED,
GUARDED,
PROTECTED AND LOVED IN HIS WINGS
HE IS MY EVERYTHING;
AFTER ALL,
WE ARE FORMED FROM HIS DUST,
AND BREATHED BY HIS LOVE.
I
AM
PROTECTED FROM EVERYTHING.
I AM NOT AFRAID
NOR AM I AFRAID.

SURE I MAY CRY,
THE SAD TEARS
TRACING A PATH
SLOWLY DOWN MY FACE.

AND YOU ASK WHY,
BUT I KNOW THE TRUTH.
GUESS WHAT? YOUR SIDE LOSES.
SURE I MAY GET WEARY SOMETIMES,
AND SO VERY HURTING
AND WEAK LIKE I DID LAST NIGHT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO STOP
TESTIFYING,
RESTING ON MY LAURELS.
I WILL FOLLOW THIS ROAD,
THE BUMPY STRAIGHT AND NARROW,
AND I WILL TRY TO STOP RESTING ON THE FENCE.
I WILL PASS THE TESTS,
STAY TRUE TO MY LORD,
AND KEEP HIS WORD IN MY HEART
ALWAYS
'TIL THE VERY END.
DON'T YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS SHAPING ME,
MOLDING ME,
REFINING ME THROUGH THIS FIRE?
SO GO AHEAD AND TRY YOUR BEST
BECAUSE I AM NOT AFRAID
NOR AM I ASHAMED.



PSALM 32:7 - FOR YOU ARE MY HIDING PLACE,
YOU PROTECT ME FROM TROUBLE.  YOU SURROUND ME WITH SONGS OF VICTORY.

NEHEMIAH: 3:14:  DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE ENEMY! REMEMBER THE LORD, WHO IS GREAT AND GLORIOUS, AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILIES, AND YOUR HOMES.