If I were to explain to you how I felt, sitting in the Doctor’s office that day, I’m sure you’d understand. Everyone has moments like I was having; pain, uncertainty, confusion, loneliness. I was grateful for everything I’d been given, all I had accomplished, and for the opportunities which were before me.
I was definitely part of something really huge; colossal, in fact!
But something wasn’t right.
No, nothing was wrong with the world, or even my world; everything was great. The problem was with me. The problem was IN me.
So, here I was at my very first doctor visit.
I sat with the Doctor, discussing my symptoms. While he listened, he occasionally scribbled on the small notepad he’d pulled out of his coat pocket, nodding his head as if he knew exactly what I was talking about.
Finally, I finished.
Neither of us said a word.
As we sat silently in his office, he reviewed his notes while I imagined all the things he might say to me. Frankly, I was just a little bit scared.
“You are going to need surgery”, he said, as he lifted his eyes to mine. “You are not well, but if you’ll trust me, I can make you better; perfect, in fact! It will require allowing me to put you into a deep sleep. I’ll make an incision in your chest area, about 10 inches long. There will be some loss of blood, though not a lot.
“I need to remove a something from you; but you have a couple dozen of them anyway, so you won’t miss it. Of course, I need your authorization in order for me to perform the operation.”
“Surgery? I don’t know, doctor. I’ve never had as much as a skinned knee, and now I’m supposed to allow you to cut me open? Surely there’s another way! I mean, how about therapy?”
“Therapy isn’t what you need.”
“Couldn’t I take care of my problem with medicine? I’ve got a great insurance plan.”
“No, I’m sorry. Medicine will not cure you.”
I could almost hear my heart, as it pounded nervously in my chest. An operation? Surgery? Why? And what if something went wrong during the procedure? What if the diagnosis was wrong? Could I really trust the doctor?
As I sat there, my mind racing with questions, I finally had the nerve to ask the question I’d been too scared to ask.
“Doctor, what exactly is wrong with me? Cancer? Pancreatitis? Kidney stones? Why do I need to be cut open, and have part of me removed?”
He smiled as he looked into me eyes, and deep into my heart.
“You need a wife.”
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
“At last!” the man exclaimed. (Genesis 2:18-23 NLT)
Jan Grace 