THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

As I write this, Tante Els has been moved to a regular bed in the hospital. Her recovery is nothing short of a miracle! Last Sunday we prayed for her thinking that she was just dehydrated. But, when Santy and I visited her late Sunday afternoon, we were surprised because her condition seemed to have worsened considerably. And, what’s concerning was the swelling around her neck.

That night her condition regressed from bad to worse. Sometime past midnight she experienced cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. She was immediately taken to ICU where she had to be heavily sedated and hooked to a respirator. It turned out to be that the swelling was caused by the infected thyroid glands. On Wednesday, she was taken off the ventilator as she can now breathe on her own.

We may call her, fortunate, but the truth is, fortune has nothing to do with her. It was God’s good and perfect plan. You see, Tante Els was never fond of hospitalization; so, every time she was ill, it took a lot of persuasion to make her go to the hospital. Last Saturday it was different. Yes, she was initially reluctant to go but this time she was more willing and ready to go. Because she admitted herself to the hospital, the cardiac arrest occurred there, not at home. You can only imagine what would’ve happened, if it happened at home.

God knew that she would be needing immediate medical attention; that’s why He brought her to the hospital and that’s why she cooperated to be hospitalized. You see, it had nothing to do with fortune; it had everything to do with God’s good and perfect plan. And, His good and perfect plan for every one of us is different, but still, it is as good and as perfect! You see, God has thought about everything and He has prepared everything for us.

Pastor Paul