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David Wasmundt
I had a heart attack a few years back. I still remember sort of the way it went down. At first God and I were at different viewpoints on the rapidly developing situation. I said. It's only backed up body fumes but God said, "Nope, it's the heart. Can't get enough blood through and I know about blood....sufficient blood is life and lack of blood is death....... By this time my two main arteries that were over 95% blocked were also chiming in with their fiery disapproval at the use of my third fire extinguisher, Gaviscon, that I had just thrown down on the smoldering fumes. Anyhow I was getting closer to an epiphany that I had experienced before in times of grave danger in my life. Although this was my first view from the heart in a heart attack form, the same principles apply when suddenly you are faced with any prospect of an immediate transfer from the terrestrial to the celestial world. .... For example, I did not care that my shirt wasn't buttoned all the way or that my socks were mismatched or that I looked grimy to the fifth power. In one instant I became at unity with all of my dualities and became focused on simply cooperating with God to get my possibly clogged arteries open to my blood deprived heart. No debate, no need to check my twenty-one sources of electronic mail, water my Leyland Cyprus trees, or take a spin on my motorcycle. At this point because of the pain, my main objective was to get my wife to "move it" faster; "it" being me in the passenger seat of the lumbering Millennial that I was sure could eat up road to the ER much quicker; and even disregard speed limits; jump curbs and basically drive as the bird flies, seemed to me to be a reasonable course of action under the circumstances. Upon arriving I went to the front of the line at the ER since no other life threatening patients appeared to be there with the possible exception of the guy curled up in a standard plastic chair wedged in a corner who was snoring so hard, I thought he might suck in some old greasy issue of "Keeping My Environment Clean", laying next to him and precipitate his own air quality problem.... but unfortunately I didn't get to see how that he fared as my fake unity was suddenly broken by two smiling nurses who declared that I had been their pastor a few years back and then began to chit chat me while at the same time stripping me down. .... Soon I was loaded on the transfer table and the rolling, squeaking bed slowly began its slow journey down the corridor while I lay watching the lights in the ceiling tiles go by while remembering so clearly how this procedure went from all the times as a pastor I had walked beside others as they took this ride into their unknown and often painful future.....My pain had all but disappeared but nevertheless I whined, "Oh God, help the poor boy," with a hidden smile on my face ....trying to get a reaction from the wonderful "saintly nurses" hovering close by. While it is true that no one wants to find it necessary to have your heart tuned up by unknown surgeons who hold your heart as well as your life in their hands, the good news is that God is always beside us. Fortunately, in my case, the doctor said my tune up was a "piece of cake" (no pun intended) making my heart much stronger than before. Bottom line truth: My "view from the heart" mirrors another guy named David who said, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil; for you (God) are with me." And after the scar is healed, it is the peace of God that passes all understanding that "keeps" my heart through Jesus Christ each day.
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