These are hard and difficult words to hear. As I talked with this gentle giant of a man in his wheelchair, a silent tear coursed his face. This former sheriff and civic leader had heard them. It meant he could not walk again. Three knee operations behind him. There could not be another. "Nothing more they can do.", he said.
You will hear these words, perhaps, or someone will hear them about you. They are reminders of man's limitations in regards to our lives and health. None in the medical profession claim to be miracle workers. Some can do amazing things, no doubt. Lives are saved each day by talented and dedicated medical professionals.....but.... sometimes we have to hear, "There's nothing more we can do." What do we do then? What we do is usually built on what we were doing before then. Faith is something we seek to live by and grow in our lives. It is best to practice it before the shattering times come. As we prepare for a lot of other eventualities tied to life, we should prepare ourselves for whatever is heading our way with a strong and God-anchored faith.
The old sheriff I talked with has that. His tears were not of hopelessness or despair. They were the kind we all shed in moments like that. It's okay and natural to do so. This man was sharing his condition, not in a tavern, but in a gathering of people for worship in a nursing home. Others had already heard words like he had. They were still looking to the Lord in faith. When "there is nothing more they can do" there is something more we can do. Trust.
