The Widow Maker - Pt 1

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:16-18 ESV).

First, let me be very clear. My health is as good as it has been in many years… now. Being a week or so away from the events leading to my heart catheterization and ultimate angioplasty and placement of two stents, I both feel great and have the doctors’ diagnoses that I am doing very well. That wasn’t the case in early May. Having dealt with a chronic disease for over twenty years, cancer, and other heart related problems I am not unfamiliar with the inner voice of my body. Two months ago I knew something was drastically different and wrong. I knew it was wrong enough I needed to get to a doctor; and, for me, that is serious. Thus began the tedious and time consuming process of tests and procedures to determine what was wrong. No one doubted there was an issue; however, no one really suspected that it might be as serious as it was. Because initial test showed no serious abnormality and nothing indicated I had (or was having) a heart attack, we plodded along. The final result was the placement of two stents and the discovery of 40-60% blockage in the left anterior descending artery, also known as the “widow maker.” No one knows exactly who came up with the term, but the reason they did is that if that artery is blocked right at the beginning of its course, then the whole artery after it goes down. This essentially means that the whole front wall of the heart goes down. As far as heart attacks go, this is a big one, and, only two percent of these cases survive. Since I had no real indicators of a serious problem like that before I went into the procedure, I expected something to be done, just not to the extent it was done. The good news is that the serious blockages have been easily repaired and the other is being treated with medication, diet, and exercise. Apparently we now have confirmation that I can no longer follow the example of the Cookie Monster! Here’s the point. After I learned about the blockage in that main artery not being repaired, and until I spoke with the doctors, I was “concerned” [Of course you know me well enough that I would not use the word “afraid”]. After getting the good news of treatment and procedure, the fear was alleviated. That’s what the gospel does. It “casts out fear”! For the next few days we’re going to explore that. Today, as you abide in the love of God, know beyond any doubt that you have nothing to fear!