Prayers for Dad

It seems like I am always asking for prayers for my parents. Right now, it’s my Dad. He has been very dizzy, and went to the doctor yesterday, thinking that it was vertigo. The nurse taking his blood pressure and pulse noticed some severe arrhythmia – and ran to get the doctor. They did an EKG, which confirmed the arrhythmia. The doctor called the cardiologist, the cardiologist said to meet him at the hospital. So there my Dad sits, going through numerous tests while they try to determine the cause for the irregular heartbeat. Other than the dizziness, he is not in any discomfort – but it is quite unnerving to be whisked off to the hospital like that. They have put him on a blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke. They have already indicated they may have to implant a pacemaker / defibrillator.

I told my Mother that KNOWING about the arrhythmia is much better than not knowing. He is where he needs to be – on a heart monitor – and if something happens, they will be able to take care of it immediately. This is familiar territory for me – I know as well as anyone that a pacemaker is not the end of the world. I’m concerned, but not panicked. Still, it’s hard to watch someone you love go through this.

Personally, I much prefer KNOWING to NOT KNOWING. I am quick to research a health problem – or a medicine. I ask questions of health professionals. I believe with all my heart that I am my own best advocate when it comes to my health – and if something isn’t right, I will keep pushing until we figure out what’s wrong.

It’s sad that I never did that with my weight issues. I sat back and did nothing. I heard doctors say I needed to lose weight – but I didn’t pay attention. I let it happen instead of taking charge. More than anything in my life, I regret that I played around with my weight issues (and consequently my health issues) for so long. No more – never again! This is MY life – and I want to LIVE IT!

One thing I don’t wonder about is my salvation. God doesn’t want us to “guess” or to “wonder” if we are saved. He wants us to be completely assured:

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13, NIV, emphasis mine)

Not knowing is scary. Knowing is so much better, even if there is a problem. But knowing something REALLY GOOD is the best of all!