Lessons from a Whitewashed Hospital Room

*Tomorrow, June 1, is the 2nd anniversary of my younger son’s surgery. I wrote this devotion last year on the first anniversary but didn’t feel called to share it at that time.

Lessons from a Whitewashed Hospital Room

“Mom, I can’t do this anymore!” my son moaned with immense pain.

Standing by his hospital bed and tightly holding his hand, I did the only thing I knew to do; pray. “Please, Lord, let the pain medicine start working!” I cried out.

It was two o’clock in the morning, and he was recovering from an intrusive surgery to correct his funnel chest, medically known as pectus excavatum.

Due to excessive adolescent growth, the deformity in his chest had grown so deep that it was affecting his heart and lung function. The simple task of just walking down the hall would cause shortness of breath for him. The surgery required a metal bar to be inserted between the breastplate and vital organs and tightened to “pop” his chest up, thus relieving the pressure off of those organs.

At this point of recovery, the anesthesia was wearing off, and we were relying on oral pain medicine. Every breath, slight movement, cough, or sneeze would send him into great agony.

“God, please help me!” our son whispered. Hearing my son crying out to the Great Physician brought me to tears.

“Yes, focus on God! He will get you through this!” I said.

“Fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I had been praying Isaiah 41:10 before, during, and after the surgery. And at this moment, we needed that verse more than ever.

A moment when the pain was unbearable.

A moment when a mother stood helpless.

A moment when a boy cried out to God.

A moment when a mother doubted if God heard that cry.

That’s right; I doubted God. If He did hear our prayers, why was my son still in pain?

Immediately after I thought that my son looked at me and said, “The pain is almost gone!” We both knew that while the medicine did play a part in it, the Lord was the ultimate pain-reducer.

Thirty minutes after praying that verse, he was asleep, and I asked God for forgiveness. In a moment of panic and fear, I had chosen to rely on my strength and not on God alone.

In times of distress, the Lord is there to uphold, help, and strengthen us.

Believe it or not, the surgery was the easy part. It was the eight weeks of recovery time that was one of the most challenging seasons for our family. We clung tightly to Isaiah 41:10, and together with the Lord’s help, we were able to conquer the enemy’s attacks and assist our son on his path to recovery. The day after the surgeon cleared him, he was back out on the soccer field, free from shortness of breath and pain.

Always remember to rely on the Lord! In the whitewashed hospital room, rely on Him. Under the shining sun and in the fresh air, rely on Him. In your hardest times, rely on Him. On your best days, rely on Him. He is and always will be there for you. Rely on Him!