Faith: The Proof of What is Not Seen

Last week I had a medical procedure that required me to be "put to sleep" by an anesthesiologist.

It was early in the morning. After filling out some initial paperwork, a nurse asked me to come from the waiting room to get prepped so they could begin the process. She had to ask some additional questions, and fill out more paperwork, like my full name, birth date, (even though I just filled out some paperwork with the same questions!) what procedures they were going to perform, etc. and have me sign another two forms before they begin. I know why they are asking me all of these questions. They are making sure that I am who I am and that I am in total agreement with allowing them to do what they are going to do, so that in case of any mistakes or unforeseen occurrences, I won't file a law suit or my family won't file a law suit, IF I don't wake up.

Being a risk-manager, this is somewhat comforting and yet not-so-comforting, as I signed my life away to people I have never met before. Comforting, because I can see they are doing their due diligence to make sure they have covered all of the details. Not-so-comforting, because they MIGHT actually make a mistake!

Yet, here I was allowing some guy(the anesthesiologist) to put an IV in me, that has some kind of drug in the IV bag, that I have no clue what it will do to my body, that is supposedly going to put me to sleep, so that the doctor can then perform this procedure, and then supposedly the doctor knows what he is doing, because he as supposedly gone to some accredited school to learn how to do this stuff. So then supposedly, I am suppose to fall "asleep" during this process, so that I supposedly won't feel a thing, and then supposedly I am suppose to wake up, not knowing anything of what just happened to me and supposedly then get dressed and have my wife drive me home, supposedly with no side affects or contracting any harmful bacteria through the entire process.

Now you would think that during this process, a guy who is a risk manager, just might be getting a little nervous. Here are just a few things that I could be thinking prior to the procedure while filling out the paperwork: What if that needle he just put in my arm wasn't clean? What if that IV bag has the wrong drug in it? What if those tools used in the procedure have not been sterilized? What if that oxygen tube they just stuck up my nose had the Ebola virus on it? What if something goes wrong with my heart when they put me to sleep and I don't wake up?

But, I was totally calm, didn't think much about anything really. I let them pretty much treat me like a rag doll and everything went exactly like they told me it would. After the whole process was over and I was back at home, I started thinking about how much faith I had placed in everyone involved. I had faith they all knew what they were doing. I had faith that what they told me was going to happen, would in fact, happen that way.

So, why is it easier to have faith in people you have never met before, and have so little faith in a God who created you? A God who created the universe and everything in it? A God who created those people whom you just placed your life in their hands? Seems a little backward doesn't it? Maybe my faith should begin with the creator of the universe first? Since He created the people whom I am so willing to have faith in.

I'm thankful for my faith in God. I am thankful for my faith that no matter what happened that day, God was in control. I was in His hands. He created me. I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I know my wife and family would be taken care of because they KNOW Jesus as their Lord and Savior and I will see them all again one day, IF, I didn't wake up.

How is your faith? Who or what do you place more faith in than God?

"Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." Hebrews 11:1