The Gift of Stories

Stories can Teach us Life's Lessons

The telephone rang and it was the call I had been expecting. 

The nurse on the other end of the line was to let me know the time I should arrive for my second cataract surgery. 

“Be there by 6:40 am,” she told me as she gave me her set of instructions I was to follow. 

 

I asked her, “How many nurses will there be working in surgery tomorrow?” 

 

She paused then checked her schedule and said, “Probably ten.” 

 

I told her I had written a book about my childhood and wanted to give the nurses a gift.  She seemed pleased.

I was still feeling guilty for my rude remark to the nurse at my first surgery when she hurt me as she inserted the IV.  I had wanted to bring her a present of my book, but then I decided to include all the nurses. 

At home, I counted out 12 books and realized these were the last copies of book One.  I added one copy of book number Two and placed 13 books in a green Kohl’s carry bag.

The next morning when I arrived, the nurse told me her name, and I realized she was the same person I had spoken to on the phone.  I told her about the books, and she remembered.  She said she would tell all the nurses to take a copy.

Then she took a sticky note and wrote the Surgeon’s name on it and placed the note on one of the books and set it at the foot of my surgery chair. 

When the surgeon came to greet me, he thanked me for the book, and I told him to read a story to his wife every night.

My surgery went well, and the new lens gives clearer vision.  I return Friday for another follow up and again a week later to have my eyes checked for new glasses.

Sight is a precious gift.  It is well to recognize that we also have spiritual eyes to be able to view what God has in store for us.  Paul says it very well:

Ephesians 1:18  The eyes of your understanding  being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of  his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

 

This post has been shared with Tracy at Winsome Wednesday