Not Quite a Triathlete

"Hey Glenn, you doing LA this year?"

My friend Juan runs, bikes and swims, and we participated in the same marathon event during the previous year.  It was therefore natural for him to ask me during a recent chance meeting whether I was planning to run the latest edition of the Los Angeles Marathon.

"Well, I've done 21 marathons already, so I thought that I'll give myself a little break from it this year...and I'm learning how to swim...."

I meant to say that I was training for my first ever triathlon, but was too sheepish to say it, because my swimming was still pretty atrocious.

"Wait, are you thinking about doing a tri?  That's great!  Maybe you can do the LA Triathlon this year.  You know, there's this class at a local college that teaches you how to...."

I already had similar conversations with several other friends, so there were plenty of folks who knew that I was planning to do a triathlon.  However, I had not registered for any tri event yet, because I was still worried about the swim portion of the race.  To say that I am a novice swimmer is a gross understatement, as I probably had not swam more than 200 total meters in over 30 years when I decided to hit the pool again for the first time after my last marathon.  My anxiety over being in the water was appropriate, as I was barely able to cover 25 meters at a time without drowning during my first pool session.  There was no way that I would actually register for a triathlon until I could swim farther...much farther.

I managed to return to the pool two to three times a week despite my initial aquatic struggles, and after about one month, I was actually able to swim a full 50 meters without touching the pool floor.  It wasn't pretty, but my endurance improved as I was able to cut through the water with a little less effort.  After two months, I would occasionally be able to cover 100 meters, and then 150 meters.  I was now tempted to look up the local triathlon race calender, but refrained from doing so, knowing that if I signed up for a race, I'd likely end up in last place.

I have now been swimming regularly for about four months, and can now cover a continuous mile in the water on good days.  I am still a very slow swimmer, and likely will still be one of the last persons out of the water in a triathlon, but I am improving, and hopefully will be able to beat out a few others during the race.  Time is now ripe for me to register for a race.

Most people probably consider my cautious approach before signing up for a triathlon as being prudent, a matter of "counting the cost" before undertaking a project.  Jesus also cautioned those who wanted to be his disciples to count the cost of following him:

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?  For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'

Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Won't he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?  If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.  In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."  (Luke 14:28-33)

Many who claim to be Christians are drawn to the benefits of Christ - eternal life, heaven, forgiveness of sins, peace, joy, purpose, etc.  However, they often fail to recognize the cost of following him, and many become disillusioned when they enter rough waters in life.  The cost of being a Christian is total surrender - we are asked to totally relinquish control of our lives to God.  It is not difficult if we recognize that God's ways are infinitely better than ours, but if we fail to understand this cost, we will be fighting against God's directions for our lives.

The Morning Express

The Morning Express I sat in my car around 7 a.m., and ran the engine to defrost the windshield while waiting for my son to arrive. Seeing no activity after glancing repeatedly between my watch and the front door, I reluctantly pulled the vehicle into the street and started down the road. It was 7:05 a.m. I parked the car by the curb a couple of blocks away to call my wife about the bad news.. "Sorry, honey. Chris missed his ride, so you'll have to take him to school." My wife was livid, as I was usually the one who drove Chris to school, and this meant that he would be late for his 7:15 a.m. class start that day. I had previously discussed with Chris about his transportation needs, and determined that we would have to leave the house at 7 a.m. sharp each morning in order for him to safely make it to his class on time. I warned him that he must take every reasonable measure to be punctual, and that I would hold up my part of the bargain and have the car ready to leave on schedule. I told him that I was going to be a bus driver and not a chauffeur, and if he didn't get out the door and into the car by the scheduled "departure", he would miss the "bus", and would have to figure out another way to get to school (usually this would mean asking/begging his mother, likely with consequences). On this particular morning, Chris was clearly unable to get out on time, largely because of preparations that should have been made the night before that were put off until the last moment. It seemed like a teaching opportunity about taking his father’s warnings seriously. I wondered how things would turn out as I drove to work, being about 15 minutes ahead of schedule because I didn't take my son to school that morning. Would I return home that evening to family members who were mad at me for being merciless? Would there be shouting and screaming, or would I get the silent treatment? I felt that I did the right thing, but I suspected that it wasn't a popular decision. As I entered the house that evening, my son and I playfully saluted each other, embraced, and talked about events of the day. We didn't dwell on the "bus" incident much, as he clearly understood the consequence that was experienced. We did, however, talk about things that could be done to prevent this from ever occurring again. Just as a son thinking that his dad would always wait for him even if he is late, we often also take God's mercy for granted, and feel shocked when we are disciplined by Him. When God told Adam, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) He meant what He said. Imagine how things would turn out if Adam and Eve simply got a slap on the wrist, a stern warning or a three-hundred-year time-out after they disobeyed the command. He would be an impotent and capricious God, and not the righteous, omnipotent creator of the universe. Thankfully, he also gave the promise of restoration when we repent of our ways and seek Him: if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) The following morning, my son was ready to leave at 7 a.m.

In Case of Emergency

When seeing kids with possible food allergies, I always ask the family what their worst reactions are. Sometimes they aren't even allergies, e.g., a child vomits whenever he is force-fed mushrooms because he hates mushrooms. Others have relatively mild reactions, such as itching after eating eggs or chocolate. The most worrisome cases are those with severe reactions that include large hives on the entire body, trouble breathing, dizziness, fainting, etc., as these reactions can be life-threatening. For those who are likely to develop serious allergic reactions, I always make the point of writing them prescriptions for "EpiPen" or "EpiPen Jr", which are emergency epinephrine injections that patients carry on themselves and use in case they have serious allergic reactions. The epinephrine injection is intended to reduce the symptoms just enough so that emergency personnel can arrive in time to transport the patient to the hospital, as only a few minutes can be the difference between life and death.

Unfortunately, prescriptions for these epinephrine injections do not always get filled, as the families either forget to pick them up, or feel that they aren't necessary. More often, the prescription is filled, but the injection is left at home while the child is away at school or at a friend's birthday party. It's hard to give onself a life-saving injection when the medication is in a drawer several miles away. It is the rare exception that a child with severe allergies always has the medication on hand, and knows (or is accompanied by some who does) how to give the injection.

Emergency medications and medical supplies are only of benefit when they are within reach of the person at all times. These include epinephrine injections for allergies, as well as emergency doses of glucose for diabetics on insulin, diazepam to control prolonged seizure attacks, nitroglycerin for those with heart disease, and replacement tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes for those who depend on special tubes for breathing and nutrition. When I see patients who are supposed to carry these medications or supplies, and they do not have them on hand, I wonder whether they take their conditions seriously. Gentle scolding on my part has done little to change their behaviors.

When we memorize Bible verses, we are also packing them in our hearts and minds and carrying them at all times, not knowing when they will be needed. When my car was stolen many years ago, I remained remarkably calm as I recalled Philippians 4:6-7, which I memorized: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." The car was recovered by the police several hours later, damaged, but largely intact.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan after fasting for forty days in the desert, he was able to counter every temptation with God's word. He did not have to construct logical arguments de novo, or say something like, "Well, Satan, you make a fairly convincing point about me being the son of God and all, and I'm starving after all these days in the desert, but I remember that one of the readings at the synagogue a couple of months ago...." Instead, his responses were immediate and decisive:

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:7)

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:10)

May we be diligent in committing God's word to memory, for we never know when they will be needed. Unlike medications, these emergency antidotes do not need to be carried in handbags or pockets, and have no expiration dates. However, they do need to be reviewed and refreshed to maintain potency. Like life-threatening allergies, Satan's attacks are serious business.

Drag and Drop

"Uh, I need your help. How do I copy this file from my computer to the flash drive?"

That didn't sound too hard, I thought, as I peered over Cheryl, who sat somewhat uneasily in front of the screen.

"Hmm, should be pretty easy. Just click on the icon, then drag and drop it into the file that corresponds to the flash drive."

"How do you do that?"

I was dumbfounded. Cheryl was no computer novice. She had been clicking and typing away since the days of floppy drives and MS-DOS, and had spent tens of thousands of hours sending and receiving e-mail, working on projects and surfing the Internet during late hours of the night. She had seen the days of Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows XP, and Windows Vista, and she did not know how to "drag and drop" a file? Maybe she simply didn't understand my lingo, so I took the mouse and demonstrated the operation in question.

"Wow! I didn't know that you can do that...."

Incredible. Not knowing how to drag and drop a file is sort of like driving a car without ever getting on the freeway, or not knowing how to make a U-turn. You still can get around...most of the time.

Suffice to say that Cheryl is not a computer "power user". On the other hand, there are some who know every mouse and keyboard shortcut, tweak advanced system and program settings, know multiple common programming languages, and feel at ease with multimedia editing, web design and complex spreadsheet operations. They can custom-design their own computers, purchase components, and assemble them to their own specifications. We tend to celebrate these individuals and are easily impressed by their skills.

The Bible also makes the point of identifying those who possess qualities and skills that are heads and shoulders above others. After instructing Moses on Mount Sinai on the specifications of the Tabernacle, God declared,

“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.  (Exodus 31:2-5)

Regarding the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, Hiram king of Tyre sent this message to Solomon,

“Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father.  (2 Chronicles 2:13-14)

When the Spirit of the LORD departed Saul king of Israel, and he was tormented, his attendants suggested that a skilled musician come and play the lyre for him. One of the servants spoke of David,

One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.”  (1 Samuel 16:18)

Among the warriors, the Bible spoke of Gadites who fought for David,

From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:  (1 Chronicles 12:8)

Finally, there is "the wife of noble character" in Proverbs 31:10-31.

Why were these special people celebrated in the Bible? Ultimately, their gifts are to glorify God, for He endowed these individuals with special abilities for His purpose. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most prolific and accomplished composers of all time, appended all of his compositions with the initials "SDG" – Soli Deo Gloria, or "for the glory of God alone".

God has given each of us unique strengths, skills and abilities, whether they be in our hands, minds, hearts or spirits. May we hone them and achieve excellence for the glory of God alone.

Debriefing with God After Prayer

My heart was recently filled with an overwhelming sense of peace as I drove home from work one evening.  In my meditation (with my eyes wide open) I recalled familiar passages from Philippians 4:7 ("And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.") and Colossians 3:15 ("Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace..."), while strains of songs and hymns that referred to these passages resonated between my ears.  Filled with joy and inspiration, I thanked God and prayed that I would be an instrument of His peace to the family when I returned home.  That sense of quietude and calm was promptly shattered, however, once I entered the house to be greeted by barrages of screaming and yelling between my wife and two children.  So much for that peaceful feeling, I thought, as I sucked in a deep breath to face the remaining hours of the day.

Later, I asked God what happened, and he said, "My child, anyone can feel peaceful when things are calm.  My peace does not only happen when circumstances are agreeable.  You asked for peace that transcends understanding, so I offered it to you.  Did you notice that even though the house was filled with noise, that the peace in your heart remained in you?

Thank you, God.

A couple of days later, I prayed for wisdom and discerment while heading to the hospital, readying for a procedure on a premature baby with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease.  This baby's heart was too weak for her to suck milk or formula with sufficient strength, and needed to be fed with a tube that was placed into her stomach.  She was transferred to my care from another hospital, in order that with the guidance of a tiny endoscope, I could puncture a hole through the skin into the stomach and place a feeding tube with sedation.  The procedure can be quite straightforward when everything goes well, and I have performed it well over a hundred times.  However, it is also fraught with potential dangers and complications that I know all too well with experience.  I continued to pray intermittently while changing into surgical scrubs, while preparing the equipment, and while observing the tiny baby moments before the procedure.  The procedure initially went swimmingly well; however, a piece of equipment malfunctioned at a critical point after the stomach was punctured, causing my nurse and me to spend nearly an hour modifying the protocol and improvising to salvage what normally would have been a 10-minute procedure.  The baby did well, but only after my nurse and I ended up with sweaty brows and armpits.  Afterwards, I remarked that I had been praying about the procedure, and my nurse, a devout Catholic, also said that she did the same.  Funny how things turn out sometimes when you pray.

A couple of days later, the baby's mother greeted me between bites of dinner at the hospital cafeteria, thanked me for getting the tube into the baby's stomach, and indicated that the family was almost ready to take her back home once they got the car seat properly fitted and received CPR training.  As the mother departed, God whispered in my ear, "Remember how you prayed for wisdom and discernment before the procedure?  Well, I knew that the procedure was going to be a challenging case, so I made sure that you remained calm, remained on top of your game and dug deep into the years of experience that I gave you.  Well done."
Uh, thanks again, Lord.
Later that same week, I had a follow-up office appointment with Joey (name changed to protect his privacy), a 12-year-old boy, and his mother.  I saw Joey for the first time a few months ago when he started to have frequent stomachaches and diarrhea, but laboratory and examination findings were normal, and he did not appear to have any serious medical condition.  However, his pain became much more severe over time, and several weeks ago was hospitalized with acute inflammation of the pancreas and liver. Upon further studies, the inflammation appeared to be caused by a congenital problem (a choledochal cyst) that requires surgery.  Joey appeared reasonably well during the office visit except that he still needed pain medications, and surgery was scheduled for later that same week.  After examining him and answering some questions, I asked Joey whether he was a praying type of person, and when he said yes, I laid my hands and prayed for him, asking for God's mercy and blessings upon him, and for the surgeons to operate with skill, discernment and diligence.  Over the next few days I continued to remember Joey in prayer, even well after the day of the procedure.

The pediatric surgeon called me three days after the surgery to update me on Joey's situation.  "The procedure was a very difficult one, as there was a lot of inflammation inside.  We started with a laparoscopic procedure, but had to open him up eventually...I just reviewed the pathology results, and unfortunately, he has metastatic cancer...."  Cancer can grow from choledochal cysts if they are not removed, but to have this happen in a 12-year-old child...who would have thought that this would happen?

News about Joey's situation became even less encouraging over the subsequent days.  Cancer appeared to have spread into the stomach, to the point where it had become incurable, and he was no longer able to eat.  I prayed for guidance as I picked up the phone to speak with Joey's mother, and after expressing my concern and our collective shock on how things have turned out, said to her,

"Remember that I prayed for Joey in the office before the surgery?  That was the first time in several years that I actually did that for a patient.  I'm not sure why things happened the way they did, but somehow God moved me to treat Joey differently from my other patients...I don't know what's going to happen...."

Indeed, it had been a few years since I actually prayed for a patient like I did for Joey.  It wasn't my nature to do so, but the Holy Spirit moved me to pray, because God knew that Joey, his family, and I will need His strength to walk the journey ahead.  He never promises that such journeys are easy, and He does not necessarily grant our requests as if He is a genie, or, in the words of R.C. Sproul, a "celestial bellhop" that caters to our wishes.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Memory Power

I tend to think that I have fairly good memory.  I can remember my telephone number, home address, social security number, checking account number, at least four different driving routes from my home to the airport, the freezing point of distilled water at 1 atm pressure (273 degrees Kelvin, 0 degree Celsius, or 32 degrees Farenheit), the official distance of a marathon (26 miles and 385 yards, 26.21875 miles or 42.195 km), and even my old college student identification number (it's 300-514-159 for those who are interested).  I have also committed to memory some of the lawyer jokes that I heard back in medical school, as well as many of the funny things that my children have said during their early, innocent years.  I have nearly completely memorized the notes of a Telemann oboe sonata.  I know how to spell words like choledocholithiasis, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, ursodeoxycholate, and docosahexaenoic acid.  I even know what those words mean.

Nevertheless, my memory abilities pale in comparison to the average stage performer, who is required to recite and/or sing long verses entirely by memory.  Whether the performer is playing the leading role in a high school musical or a professional stage actor performing a Shakespearean play, he or she is required to flawlessly memorize dozens, or perhaps hundreds of lines of script, and express them on stage with appropriate cadence, emotion, and nuance.  The entire five acts of Hamlet?  The script takes a few hours to just read through, but countless aspiring thespians have managed to memorize their lines and verses from start to finish.  The memory capacity of the human mind is truly amazing.

Being armed with such a prodigious memory, it is distressing to know that most people who claim to be Christians do not spend much time or effort in memorizing Bible verses.  While most can probably easily recite John 3:16 or The Lord's Prayer, we can do much better.  After all, the apostle Paul urged us to:

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."  (Colossians 3:16)

How are we to let the "message of Christ" dwell among us if we do not know what it is, or where it can be found in the Bible?  Knowing that the message is in the Bible without actually knowing it by heart is like a person with a serious illness knowing that the pharmacy has his medication, without actually taking it.

Paul also instructed us to put on the full armor of God, which includes the "...sword of the Spirit, which is also the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17).  Knowing God's word intimately allows the bearer of this sword to wield it skillfully for its intended purpose and not injure oneself with it.

"For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12)

May we be diligent in training our "sword" skills by memorizing God's word.  Stage attire is optional.