Thanks for the kidney stones
Who would ever think dealing with kidney stones for the last two months with pain and surgeries could possible have anything good about it? I mean I’ve been thanking God and being grateful for so many other things, but frankly, not for the kidney stones, themselves. Yes, I’ve had my times of being overwhelmed and finding it hard to be positive, but generally, I’ve worked even harder at those times to remind myself that God has my back, and my kidneys too!
This week I was supposed to travel to Wisconsin for a three day meeting of my major client. It’s a big deal and should not be missed. As it turned out, however, due to some complications from last week’s surgery, I was unable to travel so I attended and presented by Zoom. Long days on Zoom are immensely more tiring for me than attending in person, not to mention understanding multiple voices and Japanese accents without lip reading is beyond challenging. So how could I possibly be positive about the stones, themselves, and the consequences they caused?
The easy first reason is not flying and allowing my body time to heal was a huge blessing. Feeling the grace of my client was beautiful. Honing my flexibility skills is always good. Yet there were a couple hidden gifts and messages as well . . .
The three day meeting includes training for the large number of human resource managers at the numerous U.S. facilities, my portion being fiduciary training regarding their retirement and health plans. Sometimes when I attend these meetings in person during various presentations by others, I am drawn into one-on-one consulting conversations that relate to the work I do for them by various HR managers and VPs (many attend and not all listen to all of the programs, including myself). Since I was on Zoom, however, I did.
One presentation was on workplace safety and shooter response training which I’ve been wanting to take for Ruach. What a bonus! As part of that training in learning the importance of seeking other exits besides the front door, I learned of Rick Rescorla.
We watched the story of how as security director for Morgan Stanley at the World Trade Center, Mr. Rescorla watched the first plane on 9/11 fly into the North Tower. He was on the 44th floor of the South Tower. All the official announcements were to stay in place. To the contrary, Rescorla implemented an evacuation plan of shepherding the people on his floor to begin the descent down. He continued to do so, floor by floor. After a group reached safety, he went back in to begin to lead another floor down. The last he was seen was on the 10th floor steps heading back up. Mr. Rescorla, who died that day, is credited with saving 2700 lives.
Listening to that story helped me to put so much into perspective, the many choices we have in our lives, choices that influence not only our own sense of well being, but also guide outcomes that go way beyond us. It’s so easy to become discouraged by health challenges, unsolvable situations that remind us of our helplessness, actual powerlessness. What could be more hopeless than being on the 44th floor of that building at that time?
Mr. Rescorla took his personal tragedy and turned it into a moment to save thousands. He did so not just because of his training, but also because of his heart for others. He did not become overwhelmed by seeming impossibility, but instead, took positive action. Out of such a horrendous situation where seemingly nothing could be uplifting or encouraging to others, his actions did just that, not to mention the thousands of lives he actually saved.
When we’re sick, it’s hard to see the blessing let alone that anything triggered by that hardship could help others. On a personal note, only because I was stuck on Zoom because of kidney stones did I learn how to help others through this training and learn of Rick Rescorla. May we never need it at Ruach but I’m grateful for the training. This week has also been exceptionally challenging on the world news front as well, so recalling the horror of 9/11 helped me to put today’s headlines in perspective.
God is in such heroic stories, and in our hearts, and He has our backs. Yet beyond the knowledge, whether or not we are even aware of those truths, the actions we take can soothe and strengthen us and bless others. We can use our personal pain as a catalyst for good by making loving choices. How blessed we are to be reminded of such a paradoxical dynamic. How double blessed we are to be even further inspired and strengthened by the knowledge that it is our Abba through Yeshua who guides every one of those choices.
I don’t know where Mr. Rescorla stood on religion but I do know that Yeshua guiding my steps through life and especially through suffering will always lead me to the right choices. Who but Yeshua could more powerfully do so than the One who suffered beyond human understanding and through His choice to do so, to suffer and die for us, redeemed mankind?
All of that, down time, shooter training, learning of Rick Rescorla, recognizing God’s Presence, experiencing the closeness of Yeshua, being able to encourage others . . . was all because I had painful kidney stones. Being so powerfully reminded of His model and Presence only reinforced further how amazingly blessed we are to know Him, our Creator, who teaches us perseverance and showers us with His unconditional love.
I am more grateful than ever for the trials, for through them His divine intimacy with each of us is revealed so enigmatically, so magnificently.
Shabbat shalom
Diane
