If there is one word that I would pick to describe my current condition, it would be “fragile.” 
In some ways I don’t even feel like the same person. I look in the mirror & I still look the same, but nothing feels the same. My body feels like an echo chamber for my heart that is beating faster at rest than I can ever remember. I walk for 15 minutes & need to rest. Food doesn’t taste the same. My emotions are raw. Simply put, I am very fragile.
As I think about it, this is a great life lesson. We go through life largely ignorant of our own fragility. We know that life is fragile, we just don’t consider our own life to be fragile. And so we make daily decisions without heed to the warning message placed on the conscience of every human spirit, “Fragile: Handle with Care.” If there is one thing I am certain of today, it is that God cares about me & you. He knows how fragile I am & you are.
John says it like this, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We are so fragile that God had to intervene if we were to have a chance at the life we were created to live. Something like the surgeon who intervened on my behalf last week in order to renew my heart. The difference is that Jesus gave His life with all His heart in order that I might have a renewed heart. Amazing!
I am looking forward to the day when I recognize myself again, my heart rate, my emotions, & so much more of my daily bodily functions. But I pray that I never lose track of the fact that I am fragile. I know with strength will come the temptation to forget how fragile I really am. You see, with fragility comes the need to be handled with care. And here comes the real kicker for me, Jesus has called me to not only recognize that I am fragile, but that you are too! He has handled me with care that I might handle you with care. I don’t know about you, but I often need to be reminded of fragility of life. If for know other reason than to be reminded of my fragility & to embrace it as a way of life, I am thankful for open heart surgery. And I am thankful that Jesus is my surgeon! Are you ready to embrace the fragility of life?
Comments on: "Fragile: Handle with Care" (5)
Well said Dr. Shadle. I remember hearing once, that God is with us, altho we put him in the back seat we need to scoot over and let him take the wheel. It is not enough to let him join us for the ride…but let HIM direct our ride. Gosh I think of those 8 years working with you and how much more I could have learned from you about our Lord….Thank u Dr. Shadle for your grace and kindness during that period of my life. Iam trying to put to use Proverbs 27:12 “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep goin and suffer for it” iam so simple most days when it comes to my health habits and alot of my daily liviing….praying this daily to remind me to listen to HIM and seek his guidence…all the best, Erin
It never ceases to amaze me how the Great Physician makes good use of the painful parts of life, not wasting anything in His plan to give us insights into ourselves and Him. Thanks for your “open hearted sharing”….there is much to ruminate upon and I’ll bet it is CHIP approved! Uplifting you more that you’ll ever know. Sharron
Thank you for sharing, Eric. I know you know you are being upheld by the love and prayers of your dear family and many friends. But I also know from experience that sometimes, no matter how much support we get, we still realize we are experiencing something really big, and that no matter how much support we have, we have to do it alone. Like Lori Fargo once said, “you realize you can get through much more than you ever thought you could.” So I guess it is useful, but it isn’t fun! — Take care, friend. Ruth
Awww, “Fragility”, you are right. We never think of ourselves as being fragile until we get sick or “old”. With age I am feeling my fragility and I can feel God drawing me closer to him so I can lean more on His strength since my strength is waining. Thank you Eric for admitting that you are fragile too. Remembering you in prayer. Rosalie
Wonderful thoughts, Eric. I know just how you feel about feeling fragile, like your life is not the same. It will get better. You will be your old self again, but changed to look at your life in a new way. A blessing. Thank you for your wise words. May God continue to heal you and use you in a mighty way to handle others with the care they need.