Because I Too Have Suffered

My Mama is in the hospital. This has been the theme for our lives over the last couple of years. But this time, something is different.

We have seen doctor upon doctor here in our little town. And they have given her the care that they could within the scope of their practice. But it hasn't been good enough. Finally we got the referral I have been praying for.

My mother has been in pain, and in peril as we have watched her undergo surgery after surgery within the last 9 to 10 months. Each doctor has been unable to answer our questions, unable to stop what has been happening to her.

Yesterday we met another doctor. This was a totally different experience. He came in, assessed my mother, and said "This is what we're going to do." And then he matter-of-fact laid out a course of action stating "We aren't going to cut any corners."

All I could say was Thank God, Thank God.

This doctor is unique in that he works in an area that most don't want to deal with, and that is wounds. And he doesn't *play around,* he means business.

My Mama has been in so much pain, and when she expressed her fear of more pain to him he patted her and promised "I'm not gonna let you hurt."

I suppose if anyone has physically hurt in their life, it has been this man. You see, at some point he has suffered from severe, disfiguring burns. And as he sits by his patients and says "If the worst happens, it's not because we didn't do everything we could do, it's because it's God's will," I can look in his eyes and know he means every word.

He knows what it is to hurt, to suffer, because he has suffered too. He can go beyond sympathy to true empathy for his patients.

I know Someone else who has done the same for me. Someone who was "wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities," Someone who left a throne on high to "robe Himself in flesh" so he could say "I know."

I believe this doctor is going to do whatever it takes to get my Mama through this. I believe it because as some point another doctor obviously did the same for him.

And I believe that my God will bring the healing for my Mama. For it is through His suffering, "with his stripes we are healed."