Young Man, You Need Hair

Yesterday afternoon I went for a stroll, passing by the nurse's station with my IV stand asking which of two major roadways outside the hospital would be better for a jog. In reply, the nurses suggested one over the other but said that I would likely be picked up by authorities - told them I had a pass for that. I didn't really make it out of the hospital, opting instead to walk each floor to see what was where - for no particular reason, I had yet to visit the second floor. As I passed one room an elderly man yelled out from his bed "Young man, you need hair!" Given that invitation I sat in this gentleman's room and learned that he was a Russian who had been a part of the 322 Rifle Division of the Red Army in World War II.

The 322 Rifle Division was involved with liberating the Auschwitz concentration camp on January 27, 1945. This gentleman was yet another humble reminder to me about people who had it bad. He described everything that they found as they liberated the camp and although I am somewhat familiar with World War II history because of my Dad's involvement as a bomber pilot - this amount of detail that I learned probably isn't recorded anywhere.

The part of his story that was so sad was that his son was a Russian prisoner-of-war held in one of Auschwitz's camps. Ten days before the liberation the Germans apparently began evacuating the prisoners to another camp by way of death marches and this gentleman's son was amongst that group and died on the march. In spite of the depressing facts, the talk was a good one. Made all the better when I learned from a nurse I passed as I left that this gentleman doesn't have any visitors.

I then returned to my floor via the stairwell, carrying my IV tree, just to mess with the staff on my floor.

My room is the talk on the floor because of the refrigerator that Kim's parents bought as a gift for me. I'm again in the "suite" with a great view and pretty good size. One of the first orders of business when I got here to the hospital was a phone call to the meal service asking them to refrain from even thinking about bringing me food - just can't eat it. Also brought my one-cup coffee maker, so I am set.

The regimen thus far is going well. This course A is better than the course B. I've passed the time doing work, working my way through e-mails, and playing a video game that my Mom bought me as a gift during her visit. My room seems to also be the popular room for the nurses to visit, probably because of the larger size and my speaker system with some tunes. It is funny being the resident police officer - everyone has a story to tell.

My poor Kim has caught the cold that Courtnie has had for a few days. Sadly no visit from them today. Courtnie advanced a belt in karate last night!!! She did really well and I am so proud of her, I wish I could have been there to see it. She really loves her teacher - Ms. Michelle, who is an AWESOME teacher. I'll have to post some pictures when I get them.

I found the following on the Internet and wanted to pass it along:

BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.........
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors.........
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........
I received everything I needed!

Trust in God. Always !