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Florida

Pastor Vic


I spent a few days last week at the Health Park Medical Center. Two weeks ago I was at Church by myself setting up the piano and the P.A. system before the service when it felt like a 24 hour stomach virus had hit me. After the service was over, I couldn’t wait to get home and climb back into my bed. I knew the next 24 hours would be miserable, so I set my mind to just letting myself be sick. My 24 hours turned into 240 hours — ten days. Each day I thought I’d get better, but it didn’t happen. I am a tough old bird, but I finally asked Miss Bessie if she would call Doc Mauney and tell him I needed to see him. He said, “No. Go immediately to the E.R.” We went and I was admitted with dehydration and a nasty bug referred to as “C-diff. That is short for Clostridium difficile. It sounds horrible, and left untreated can cause nasty side effects, but mine was caught and treated with an antibiotic called Flagyl. We all have the C-diff bacteria in us, but when it gets out of balance and takes over, look out. If you want to know more, Google “C-diff.” There are several sites on there that explain it pretty well.

A few major causes of it is an over use of antibiotics and antacids. Neither of these criteria fit me. You can also pick it up in hospitals and nursing homes by touching something an infected person has touched. The use of the hand sanitizing gels provided at most hospitals does no good. You must use good old fashioned soap and water. The gel will kill most germs, but not C-diff. Let me encourage you to wash your hands with soap and water often. My boyhood doctor, Dr. Freiden would wash his hands when he came into your room, then wash them again before he moved on. As he entered the next patient’s room, he would again wash his hands before and after his examination. Over-kill you ask? Well, with as many patients as he saw, he was never sick. Enough said. Another country doctor who was never sick attributed it to the fact that he washed his hands frequently, and gargled with antiseptic mouthwash throughout the day. Do you remember when you were little your mom was always saying, “Did you wash your hands?” My mom preached it like an old fashioned Baptist Evangelist. Moms almost seemed to nag it, but medical science confirms that indeed mother knows best.

As most of you know, I come from Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati is famous for many things, one of which is being home to Procter and Gamble. I’d be willing to say you probably have a P & G product in your possession right now. Go on their web site some day, and check out their product line, and the history of all their products. Ivory soap is one as is Cascade, Tide, Dawn, and Safeguard. It is safe to say P & G knows much about cleanliness. Dirt has made them rich. As good as their products are, even they cannot help you get your hands clean enough to get next to God. In fact, there is not a cleaning agent on this earth that can. Even though God demands it, and man doesn’t have it, do not despair. Job fretted over this. He said “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” (Job 14:4)

Whatever God demands, God supplies. Yes, the grocery stores of Heaven are over stocked with it. Right now, it is on sale: it‘s free, but a coupon is necessary. The coupon can be found in Psalm 116:13 which says, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.” In the New Testament Paul writes to the Romans, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) It’s not Tide, Joy, or Mr. Clean: it’s galled Grace, and all you have to do is ask for it. Your words of confessing your filth and sin unto God is your coupon! Simple isn’t it? Definitely!

At the first Church I pastored, a gentleman told me a story of how the church got its new organ. He told me how one very wealthy man sent word to the Churches of our local association, telling them that if someone from the Church, other than the Pastor would send him a letter simply asking for an organ, he would supply it. Sadly out of about thirty Churches, only three asked. Those Churches each received a brand new, top quality organ. When the other Churches heard of it, they too sent letters, but it was too late. The time limit had expired.

Age


N/A

Gender


Male

Length


Source


Hospital Acquired

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