I'm the Queen

 She was a strong independent woman.  NOT religious. Sarcastic and a little mean. 

Somehow she loved me. 

every visit, she gave me a hug and told me I was her favorite doctor. 

She accepted prayer with a big smile and the occasional rolled eye. 

....

One day she started loosing weight. Her stomach was bloated. I ordered an ultrasound. 

"It looks like pancreatic cancer" I had to tell her over the phone. Confirmed it later with a biopsy. 

She started a week later chemo but still came to see me monthly per her request just to check in. every time I saw her, she was thinner, weaker, more tired. 

One day she was open to me sharing about the Big picture of what the Bible says about knowing God. 

I talked through the gospel, then came the 2 circles- the 2 choices. Which circle do you want for your life?

"This one," she said as she pointed to the circle where SHE was on the throne, and Jesus was outside and not part of it.  "I'm the Queen, I'll always be the Queen." she calmly said with a determined gaze. 

I had to let her choose. 

She hugged me at the end of the visit and left. 

I found out she died a few weeks later. 

The Schedule Wrecker

 He was a schedule wrecker. 

Hospital follow up with a discharge summary an inch thick. 

30 year old with long history of Meth and alcohol abuse, coded while playing soccer, in the ICU for weeks. No PCP. No insurance.  The ICU had been his first visit to the doctor in decades. Somehow alive, somehow sitting here in my office with his anxious wife. 

he said he was ready to get clean. He had 5 kids younger than 10 after all. 

I hope so, I thought as I made helped him with a medical plan forward but suspecting I might never see him again after this visit. 

I offered to pray with him. He and his wife were touched. there were tears. then they left. 

....

I saw him a few months later. He was still clean. this time his wife and 8 year old son came with him. 

Me: "Are you religious or spiritual?"

him "No, but I want to be..." 

me: "Would it be helpful if I shared what the Bible says of how we really Know God and live life with Him? "

him: "yeah!"

I drew out the old bridge diagram. then the 2 circles. When I asked where he wanted his life to be, He pointed to the circle where Jesus was King. I asked if he wanted to pray together now to receive the gift of eternal life with God. YES he did. I started to pray and he was going to repeat after me.. 

But then something unexpected.... 

It wasn't just his voice I heard. 

A woman's voice. A little boy's boy's voice, the man's voice.   all praying together, asking God to forgive them, save them and take over their lives. 

New life. New hope. A new way forward. 

there were steps to finding them a Spanish speaking church. The mom said one of her older kids already went to one with a friend and they would try going with her sometime. 

........

Lord, please take hold of this family to be Yours forever.