2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” [ESV]
The day finally came. Six weeks earlier my husband had been scheduled to be operated on for a shoulder replacement. But the day before the surgery we got a call saying the insurance company would not pay for the operation until Chip underwent six weeks of physical therapy.
A month and a half later, his MRI revealed he still needed the surgery. He was more than ready…or so he thought.
We arrived early at the hospital. They sent him to the pre-op room where he discarded his clothes and donned the lovely blue gown. One of the nurses proceeded to take his vitals while another asked him a series of questions, like “When was your last meal?”
“Dinner last night,” he responded.
“No, remember, you ate breakfast this morning,” I inserted.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot I had a bowl of Cheerios.”
The nurse’s face fell flat. “You have to wait eight hours before you can undergo anesthesia. I better get the surgeon.” The surgeon entered the room and affirmed the nurse’s assessment. Surgery would have to be rescheduled. Again.
My husband was mortified. He had forgotten that bit of information from the prior instructions. He apologized profusely to the surgeon, the nurse, the staff, to me. Hating the inconvenience he’d caused everyone, he knew he had only himself to blame.
I felt bad for him, but as we drove back home, the irony struck my funny bone. Chip is not a “food” person. Some days he doesn’t even remember to eat breakfast. He’s the last person I would expect to miss surgery because of food. I couldn’t stop laughing, and eventually he, too, found the humor in it.
As long as we exist in this human frame, we’re going to run smack dab into the middle of our human weaknesses. Paul said his “thorn in the flesh” kept him humble. It reminded him of his ongoing need for Christ. He realized he would never reach a point where he didn’t need God’s grace. Neither will we.
So the next time your circumstances humble you, embrace God’s grace. And if you’re my husband, “Don’t eat the Cheerios!”