This is the day

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the 
LORD hath made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it.

Weeks ago I shared this verse with one of our heart transplant
candidates. He was waiting patiently in ICU for the moment when a
donor heart arrived or God called him home. My visit was brief ending
with prayer and I quoted again, "this is the day the Lord has made."

It had been several days since I had checked on Mr. N.
Later in a staff meeting a brother slipped me a written note. He whispered that a
patient had instructed him to give it to me. When I read it it said,
"This is the day..." IC Room 4.

I was at a loss at what it meant or who it was from. As soon as I
could I made my way to ICU. There I found Mrs. N sitting in a chair.
She gave me the great news that her husband had received a new heart
and was in recovery. I rejoiced with her and shared the note a fellow chaplain gave me.

She explained that ever since I visited them weeks ago, and shared Ps.
118:24, He clung to the words, "This is the day..." Every day he kept
repeating the words. It gave him hope and perseverance to keep pressing on.

She said that when he heard that his heart was here and preparations
for surgery were underway, he told me to write you a note that simply
said, "This is the day."

WOW...What a reminder that indeed we speak words of life and hope.
Encouragement and the living words spoken in love and compassion have
eternal consequence that are immeasurable.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold 
in pictures of silver.        Prov. 25:11

May God use us today to whisper words....of Golden hope.

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