Extended Life

My mom's Rt. Carotid Artery

Day 28 Doxology: I have what will seem like a boring and usual doxology for a son.  My mom had an arteriogram today of her carotid arteries.  The carotid arteries carry blood to the brain, and when they become occluded all kinds of complications ensue.  In the past, an arteriogram made it possible for her to get in line for what is called CABG -Coronary Artery Bypass Graph -pronounced "cabbage".  So you can imaging our anxiety while we waited. Now that you're nodding off and thinking Blah, Blah, Blah...it gets better.

My mom's mother (my grandmother) died when I was just a year old from an aneurism.  Although an aneurism is different than my mom's current condition...the risk is great.  In addition, still different is that my mom had the opportunity today to prevent something devastating.  So, like a good Christina, I pause and in prayer over mom my and give thanks.  Then I was reminded that mom had something else in mind.

When you go for a similar procedure you are forbidden food and drink after midnight.  The medical world calls it NPO which is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase that means "nothing by mouth".  To my mom, the moment the nurse gave her Diet Coke, Graham Crackers, and a cup of ice was the moment she offered praise.  In our world we forget the sting of hunger until we are forced to do without.

Lent continues, and will not end until sundown the Saturday before Easter.  Until that time, many of our friends and family have exercise the discipline of fasting to remind them of their hunger for a savior.  All over the world, people will be praising God for many different things -someone will be healed of cancer; someone will have a relationship restored; someone will catch carotid stenosis before it causes great damage, but yet there will be one that will get to eat.  In each case...life is extended and God is praised!