Don't tell my wife that I'm blogging. She failed to notice that my laptop was within reach of the bed.
Please understand this first of all: There's nothing seriously wrong with my eyes. I've got a really bad upper respiratory infection (i.e., a cold), that somehow a burst of Rocephin and Penicillin did not conquer. It has somehow crossed over into my left eye, which is pretty angry with the world right now. The ER doc today says it must be something "peculiar" (an unusual bug), that those two antibiotics somehow missed, so he followed up with something that sounded like a ten-sided regular polygon to me: Decadron. That and some Zythromyacin (I swear not to ANY of these spellings) and I'm to see whether I'm not good as new by Monday.
What about Sunday? Well, I do have a five-year-old son whose closet includes a pirate costume. An eye patch, a hook, I could preach on Jonah…anybody got a parrot I can borrow?
Right now the eye is pretty much matted over. So long as I leave my eye that way it doesn't hurt. It's going to get better. I'm happy for that. Right now it is just an inconvenience, thanks to the blessings of modern medicine.
I've been thinking a lot over the past few days about Dr. Al Mohler. I recall two years ago watching him struggle with the bright lights at the pastor's conference, suiting up injured in a way that inspired us all, I'm sure. His painful squints were painful to me—I wanted to run up onto the stage, hold him down, and force some Stevie Wonder glasses upon his face right then and there. His visage was not beautiful to see in his painful condition, but his commitment to the cause of biblical truth was (and that comes from someone who agrees with the position that Dr. Patterson articulated that day). Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder, it is in the Beholder of our eyes, who gave them to us that we might use them to His glory, as Dr. Mohler did that day.
Anyway, as I've been Captain Hook for the past few days I've been thinking about him and giving thanks to God for the ways in which He has shepherded Dr. Mohler through difficult times. It keeps my little sick-day in perspective. A good friend who went to the Together for the Gospel conference tells me that Dr. Mohler was there, robust and enthusiastic. Praise the Lord who have given the complete and total healing for which we all prayed! By all accounts, Dr. Mohler is even healthier than he was at the beginning of the year.
Bart,
ReplyDeleteI knew you were a 'peculiar' Baptist!
It is good to hear the good reports about Dr. Mohler (this coming from one who would agree with the position he represented on the day to which you refer in this post!) ;-)
I pray we hear similar reports from Farmersville in upcoming days.
By Grace Alone!
If ya lived a bit closer, my husband would fill in for ya. :O)
ReplyDeleteBut I really do like the Pirates patch idea. The kiddos would love it and would forever remember you advertising Outrigger Island for VBS.
I do not know you, but for over a year I had double vision. I preached with a patch. However, in God's time I was sent to the right doctor ... vision cleared ... patch gone.
ReplyDeleteGod's people respond to faithful servants. Hang in there and preach your heart out ... in His name.
Troy Long
I feel your pain. We stunningly good-looking men have trouble when we lose our good looks.
ReplyDeleteBart, I hope you read the updated version of my blog. I wrote that last night when I was really frustrated. I rewrote it after our conversation, just to tone it down a little.
ReplyDeleteI used to write those angry letters, then hold them overnight and rewrite them in the morning after I cooled down. Last night, I hit the post button before I cooled down.
I still believe what I wrote, but I wanted to take a little of the bluster out of it.
Bart,
ReplyDeleteThe eye patch is a cool idea. Maybe you could throw in some "Argh, mateys" and "Yo-ho-ho's" into the sermon. :D
Hopefully, this condition will pass quickly.
Quinn Hooks
Bart,
ReplyDeleteOur two-year-old son came down with this condition when he was less than a year old, and it scared us to death. Ultimately, his required a brief period in the hospital so that IV antibiotics could be administered.
I say that to say that even if this gets worse before it gets better, hang in there. They caught it, and are treating it and watching it closely, so eventually, you will have the use of both eyes again. Praying for you!
Brother Bart,
ReplyDeleteI have witnessed to one person and decided to post a comment. I still have two more to go before I can post an actual post.
I know that you have been sick and I also know that God has placed you in places that you would not normally go, therefore, I know that you are clicking off your 10 before you post another post. Keep up the faithful work.
Blessings,
Tim
May our Lord deal with you as with the Bart of Mark 10:46-52.
ReplyDeleteSo, did you preach?
ReplyDeleteLike Dave, I wondering if you preached and how you are feeling.
ReplyDeleteQuinn Hooks
Thanks to all for your prayers. I did preach. I told everyone that my eye condition was a supernatural action of God to help me preach my message "Blessed are those who mourn..."
ReplyDeleteI looked like I had been crying for two days!