Stress
So the doctor said, "The shortness of breath could be one of three things, in order of the most likely:
(1) You aren't as young as you used to be. (Now that is obvious, but he didn't have to make that one first.) He tried to break it gently by relating his physical reaction to a run with his daughter. That never changed one fact.
(2) You have a problem with allergies . . . explanation, explanation. (Now that sounded more likely, probably because he spoke far above the parson's vocabulary.)
(3) You have a heart problem. (And that's when it all started, well, almost.)
"We are going to schedule you for a stress test." What he didn't realize was that the parson had a stress test the day before--a stress test of all stress tests, and he passed it with flying colors. The gas pump stopped on $42. (For my little Toyota truck that wasn't empty?) It wasn't so stressful before the pump stopped. The counter had become unreadable after it passed the sound barrier.
Then the dear wife came home with the prescription ("just in case it is allergies"). It was then that the second major stress test set in. All this parson can say is that the pharmacist thinks a lot more of those silly mini-pills ($) than the gas station owner did the gas. The old ticker must be great to survive that one!
So the great day! Treadmill, wires, a state-of-the-art computerized stress machine with a built-in printer, a personal nurse and doctor, emergency oxygen, . . . One couldn't ask for more than that. Wires? It was fearful. Plumb fearful. There was no way those seven minutes on "the mill" could compare with the prior tests or even a good, fast bike ride. But that's life.
Life is stress! Much stress. And sometimes more stress. However, stress is actually a positive in the life of those of us "in Christ." Few saints of God have a more stressful life than that of the Apostle Paul. However, he didn't allow the stress to develop into distress. What was his prescription? It all had to do with his perspective of Christ and his vision of the eternal. Thus he called it his "light affliction" (II Corinthians 11:24ff, 4:8-9, 17-18).
When a child of God views stress as the prescription of the Master to draw him closer to Himself, he views life as a pilgrimage with the next step being Glory. Stress never turns into distress (misery). Not knowing the intricacies of this human body, we must trust the doctor. How much greater our confidence should be in the Great Physician. He always knows best. And that Doctor's visit is free! (No "just in case" or silly little pills--$).
Today? Perhaps!!
The Parson
(1) You aren't as young as you used to be. (Now that is obvious, but he didn't have to make that one first.) He tried to break it gently by relating his physical reaction to a run with his daughter. That never changed one fact.
(2) You have a problem with allergies . . . explanation, explanation. (Now that sounded more likely, probably because he spoke far above the parson's vocabulary.)
(3) You have a heart problem. (And that's when it all started, well, almost.)
"We are going to schedule you for a stress test." What he didn't realize was that the parson had a stress test the day before--a stress test of all stress tests, and he passed it with flying colors. The gas pump stopped on $42. (For my little Toyota truck that wasn't empty?) It wasn't so stressful before the pump stopped. The counter had become unreadable after it passed the sound barrier.
Then the dear wife came home with the prescription ("just in case it is allergies"). It was then that the second major stress test set in. All this parson can say is that the pharmacist thinks a lot more of those silly mini-pills ($) than the gas station owner did the gas. The old ticker must be great to survive that one!
So the great day! Treadmill, wires, a state-of-the-art computerized stress machine with a built-in printer, a personal nurse and doctor, emergency oxygen, . . . One couldn't ask for more than that. Wires? It was fearful. Plumb fearful. There was no way those seven minutes on "the mill" could compare with the prior tests or even a good, fast bike ride. But that's life.
Life is stress! Much stress. And sometimes more stress. However, stress is actually a positive in the life of those of us "in Christ." Few saints of God have a more stressful life than that of the Apostle Paul. However, he didn't allow the stress to develop into distress. What was his prescription? It all had to do with his perspective of Christ and his vision of the eternal. Thus he called it his "light affliction" (II Corinthians 11:24ff, 4:8-9, 17-18).
When a child of God views stress as the prescription of the Master to draw him closer to Himself, he views life as a pilgrimage with the next step being Glory. Stress never turns into distress (misery). Not knowing the intricacies of this human body, we must trust the doctor. How much greater our confidence should be in the Great Physician. He always knows best. And that Doctor's visit is free! (No "just in case" or silly little pills--$).
Today? Perhaps!!
The Parson
posted by The Parson at 5/05/2006 07:10:00 AM
4 Comments:
Bro. T. ya made my day...that was real funny...
Bro. Taylor,
I can so relate to your stress. I get to work and find out that with one sentence from a co-worker what I had planned an calculated to be my perfectly scheduled week had been totally changed by some mismanagement of anothers scheduling. Whatever each of us may go through that we consider stress usually turns out that God has a much bigger picture and uses it to open other doors. It is really hard for me to manage that realization in my finite mind though.
I really enjoyed the blog, thanks for sharing... Regina
This was great--but how did the stress test go??
Hey Bro. Taylor,
So, what, you were not going to let me know you had a blog?? I think it is great and I will be checking in often. Glad you were compelled to do it.
By the way have you ever wondered why parsons would ever be required to take a stress test anyway???? I thought we had one of them several times a week!
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