Matt's Muzings
To help you think, ponder and reflect on the human side of leadership
April/May 2008 Volume 10, Issue 86
I have to laugh at what I wrote about in March in regards to hospitals and pain.
The reason why I am laughing and chuckling to myself is, I was in the hospital
in April, for a knee operation.
About a month ago, I hurt my knee while playing soccer with some friends. It was
pretty painful and it wasn't going away. Finally, I went to a knee specialist who
ordered an MRI on my knee. Diagnosis: I had a torn meniscus. I was really wrestling
with what to do about it. My options, let it be and just live with the pain or
try and have an operation and get it fixed? I kept putting it off and I finally
went to see another specialist on a Wednesday. He looked at it and suggested I have an operation in two days, on Friday. I swallowed and said "Okay."
Celia was teaching the staff of the Singapore DTS on that day and I encouraged her
to go ahead and just come to the hospital when she was done. I was playing the tough guy and I really did want her to help the staff.
She left in the morning and I was 'home alone' for another hour and a half waiting
for my time to head to the hospital. I wish I could say I was strong, but actually
I was really nervous. Of course no one knew, this was a personal battle within myself that I knew I had to face. It has been a part of my life this last year. I have
a choice, I need to control my thinking and not focus on my emotions. I have learned that lesson well over this last year and now it was time to put it into practice.
Facing myself..
I made it to the hospital with all appearances of being strong and not bothered
by a little operation. I got all the paper work done and went into a room with about
6 beds in it with curtains around each one. I found my bed and quickly grabbed my
book to read. It gave me something to focus on to distract me from where I was and what was going to be happening to me soon.
My anesthesiologist came and talked with me about the operation and asked if I was allergic to anything. We talked for a couple of minutes and finally she asked me if I was okay? I admitted I was a bit nervous and if she had something to give
me to help, I would appreciate it. She gave me a pill that she said would help
me. She gave me half the amount so I wouldn't be groggy. They put up the rails of
my bed and I lay there and read my book.
Now here is the good news. God had mercy on me and that wonderful little pill just
knocked me out. I have a faint memory of being in the operating room looking up
at the lights before they put me out but I had no anxiety at all. The next thing
I remember was lying in my bed with Celia there talking to me. Oh, the glory of
being done with it all!
Now what does this have to do with leadership?
Good question. All I can say is God has mercy on us in our weakness and brings people along who can help us when we are not at our best. I had a choice and made it with what I knew was best decision. And God really helped me face it without too much of a problem. His gift to me was the doctors and medicine. Thank God for medicine and science. What a gift, that we can study and understand the body and how to work with it in all its painful glory.
Whatever you are facing. Whatever you are walking through, whether it be a fire,
a flood, a beautiful garden or a wonderful food stall with wonderful smells all
around you, may you know the fullness, the depth and wonder of God's fearsome love in all your relationships.
May He richly bless you!
Matt and Celia
FAMILY MATTERS:
MATT: It has been a busy time. ( So much so that you can see it is already May and I had this Muzings written but could not get to formatting and sending it out -
so a double issue) I am working on a new book that I think will be great. (at least
I am enjoying it) It is about the importance of dialogue. I taught in a DTS here
in Singapore last week and that was a good time. I am back on my feet and even
cycling on a stationary bike to start exercising.
CELIA: We had a great trip to Cambodia at the end of last month. Seeing the work
being done in PP and Battambang was encouraging. God is at work in that nation.
Half of the population of Cambodia is under 20. And there are many young people
excited about Jesus. We also had a week with Landa Cope here in Singapore and a
few days with good friend, Gregg Scott. We are off to Banda Aceh, Indonesia for
a few days. We have friends who work there and we are going to encourage their
workers. Thanks for standing with us as we continue to travel in this region.
(We went and had an amazing time.) We are off to Europe for two weeks of teaching.
Josh: He is in between jobs and wondering what to do. Please pray that he would
have a sense of what God would want him to do. He is also having some truck problems which, as you might remember, is not a good sign for us all as trucks have been a pain for a long time.