Thy Rod and Thy Staff

TODAY: Share this poem by Pauline Daniels.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
gently stroking the wisps of your hair.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
Caressing breezes bless your resting there.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
gazing into the glory above.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
where whispering hearts sing of His love.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
drenched by the rays kissing your face.
Lay your head in the lap of an angel
cradled by peace, wisdom and grace.

This window embodies the theme of the First Testament God: a God of might and power, who created order out of chaos. The colors are a blend of earth tones, the texture rugged yet fluid. The forerunner of the staff, a simple rod, reminds us of our earliest perceptions of a God of justice and even wrath.

– Jay Hanke

Nov. 15, 2000, 2:15 p.m.

A date and time that changed my life forever. There were soft lights overhead while music played from speakers somewhere in the background, as they wheeled me into the room where the angiogram would take place. I could see and hear everything, but felt no pain as the video showed the snakelike apparatus probing the arteries of my heart. The sedation moderated the terror that raged inside my mind. There were 100 percent, 90 percent and 70 percent blockages of the three major arteries. I was stunned when told the only option was a bypass operation.

“Why me?” I asked no one in particular. After all, I had tried to lead a healthy life of strenuous exercise and moderate diet. This was a very humbling experience for someone who was so proud of his lifestyle. As I lay in the hospital awaiting the operation, I questioned everything that I had done, searching for answers. I had tried to control my life and soon realized the error of my ways. I was full of myself, thinking I was in control of my life. This experience led me to understand that not I, but God was in charge.

Later during recovery as I prayed to God, I came to understand that I did not have to do it all myself, that He would help me to recover, and I must turn recovery over to Him. With that, recovery worries were eased, and I was soon discharged.

I am still learning from this episode. Though I felt as if I had walked through the “Valley of Death,” I learned to trust in God and His plan and to ask for help in my life.

— Scott Tilley