Arms Wide Open
It’s
a cold and sterile room in which I lie.
Two nurses are busying themselves at my expense in preparing me for
surgery. One is shaving my upper body. The other darts in and our while she finishes
her job.
And
then I’m left with the second nurse – Grace.
Carolyn is nearby too, though I can’t see her. My blood pressure was high – 170/106 or
so. Grace wanted to sooth me.
“Mr.
Biggs, your blood pressure is a little high.
What are you worried about? We’re
going to take real good care of you.”
And she was off like a dash and back in a flash.
She
had inserted a port into one of my veins and began a medicine drip to help with
the blood pressure.
She
kept reassuring me … “you are in good hands.
We’re going to take good care of you.”
At
some point, she asked me what I did and I mentioned writing and singing. She latched onto the ‘singing’ idea and said.
“Why
don’t you sing me a song?” Got the
picture? I’m moments away from surgery
and my nurse wants me to sing to her?
She
sang some simple praise and worship song I knew from twenty years ago and then
asked again for me to sing something.
The
only song that stuck was the first song I ever remember singing as a small boy
in my Dad’s church in Lewisburg, Tennessee.
And so, I sang. My voice halted
and faltered but I sang-lying there on a bed in Swedish Hospital.
The chimes of time ring
out the news
Another day is through.
Someone slipped and fell,
Was that someone you?
You may have longed for
added strength
Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened,
For I bring good news to
you.
It
was not my finest moment as a soloist. I
was scared, I was nervous, and my voice was cracking and broken and I was
softly sobbing as I sang.
I
continued:
It is no secret what God
can do,
What He’s done for others
He’ll do for you
With arms wide open
He’ll welcome you
(a lyric change)
(a lyric change)
It is no secret what God
can do
Grace
said some appropriate words. “Lovely, I
like that. Thank you. You have a nice voice.”
And
God was there.
I
changed the lyric to “He’ll welcome you” on purpose. The original lyric said, “He’ll pardon you.”
I
was already pardoned. Now I wanted a
welcome. You see, my cardiologist said I
had about a 70% chance. In case the 30%
kicked in I wanted to see those wide-open arms of my God.
I’ve
experienced them on numerous occasions in my life. When confessing sin, when in need of an answered
prayer and a thousand other times in my years of living.
And
the great news – those arms are open right now for you my dear reader. Whatever you face, those arms are opened wide
to receive you, help you, comfort you and touch you in a most intimate way.
Climb
up onto the great lap of God and let Him embrace you today.
P Michael Biggs
Hope Encouragement Inspiration
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