Things to Worry About

“Do you think it’s ok for me to ask my surgeon if his team is prepared to put me out if my anesthetic catches on fire?”

I heard dead silence on the other end of the line.  After a considerable pause, my sister, Amy answered, “I doubt that’s a regular question he gets asked.”

When I asked my mom the same thing, she said, “How is that even possible?”

“Oh, it does happen.”  I assured them both. “I’ve seen video. It’s really rare, but once in a while static electricity throws the tiniest of sparks which causes the anesthetic to catch on fire.  It’s horrible because the patient is breathing the anesthetic through a mask; so their whole face catches on fire.  Because it’s fairly rare, the surgical team wastes precious moments standing around staring at their patient who has suddenly burst into flames.  The person wakes up from the surgery disfigured from terrible burns.”

Now that I had discussed that grizzly option, I forged ahead with the other disasters that can occur during surgery.  “There’s that thing where people don’t get enough of the anesthetic and can feel the entire surgery,” I said.  “That would be pretty bad too, but I think being burned would be worse.” 

I couldn’t leave the catastrophic possibilities alone.  “Of course, some people never even wake up from the anesthetic.  I wouldn’t mind that one so much, but the being burned, that’d be pretty awful.”

“Honey,” my mom said, “you do find a lot to worry about don’t you?”

As soon as those words came out of her mouth, I remembered a couple of verses in Philippians “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I have always been great at worrying.  Anxiety has made me lose sleep and peace of mind so many times.  How silly of me.  God has promised His peace to those who turn their anxiety over to Him.   

Does it mean that bad things will never happen?  Of course not, but God is in control.  Nothing can happen without Him permitting it.  Remembering that God’s plan is always wise and perfect, even if it allows for suffering her e on earth, gives me perfect peace. 

What about you?  What anxiety has robbed you of peace?  Turn it over to God and rest in the peace which surpasses all understanding.

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