“My sheep hear my voice” (John 10:27) One of the promises of the Gospel is that we will recognize the Lord’s voice. We are not children left alone in this world of confusion and trials. Our Master is a Good Shepherd. God’s voice is a familiar voice to believers, and he uses others as a vessel of that goodness.
This past week has been more than challenging. Most know I was in a life-threatening and critical situation Tuesday. But behind the curtain of the natural world, there were signs and comforts from God’s love. It was the beauty of a familiar voice. And that beauty came through from many angles.
I awakened early one morning after returning from the hospital and watched the sun wink it’s beginning across the reservoir with a golden hue. My cheeks were wet with the dew of thanksgiving as the rush of the week came into focus. Writing is a type of catharsis for me, as it helps me see things clearer. I reflected upon my week.
As I lay in the ER at Anderson’s hospital, the nurses and assistants were frantically hooking me up to monitors and drips. I looked out the glass doors and there stood Ronnie Carter—former highway patrolman and Sheriff’s deputy for Lauderdale County. I knew he was praying for me. After the nursing traffic slowed down, he walked to my bedside, looked down on me with moist eyes, and said, “It’s going to all work out and be fine.” It sure was good to hear a familiar voice!
A few minutes later, I received a video message and Facetime talk from two of my grandchildren. (Eli and Grace) They told me they were praying for me and that it was sad for them to see me in the hospital. I tried to encourage them, but they encouraged me with their tender and caring words. It sure was good to hear a familiar voice!
As the staff prepared to send me for the first heart procedure, I told the nurses that I wanted to pray before I left the room. Gary Cranford had driven up and I asked him to lead us in prayer. We all joined hands, family, friends, and hospital staff as he offered a very comforting and “Lord, we are trusting you” prayer on my behalf. It sure was good to hear a familiar voice!
After returning from a very successful heart angioplasty, things turned bad. A blood clot formed at one of the stents and was blocking 100% blood flow. The pain was beyond description… perhaps the best way to explain is to imagine someone repeatedly stabbing you with a knife in the chest, shoulders, and upper arms. Then a friend and floor nurse practitioner, Bonnie Early, came flying through the door after seeing my EKG and blood work and said, “Terry, we are taking you back. We must go back in.” That was a relief as I knew something was wrong and didn’t know how much longer I could withstand the intense pain. And though I dreaded another procedure, it sure was good to hear the news from a familiar voice!
As the hospital staff scrambled and returned me to surgery, an overwhelming peace from God washed over my spirit. It only lasted about 10 seconds, but it was like the Lord was saying, “I am here.” I knew, not in some theoretical or doctrinal way, but in an existential reality, that the Lord was beside me. It sure was good to hear a familiar voice!
They placed me on the operating gurney and my whole body began to shake with convulsions. The blood was backing up from my extremities, my hands were ghostly white, waxy, and clammy. I could not stop the shaking and I kept telling the surgical staff, “I’m freezing to death. I am so cold.” They were working feverishly and did not respond. I looked up at the ceiling and thought, I may be about to see my brother Frank and my Dad real soon. Then my thoughts were interrupted when I heard, “Terry, this is Dr. McDonald, Kim. We are going to take good care of you.” Dr. McDonald is an old Quitman Friend who became chief of staff and was over the emergency room at the hospital. He has taken care of many of us Clarke Countians. He stepped in to assist if needed and check on me. I responded very weakly, “Kim, it sure is good to hear a familiar voice!” With that I drifted out of consciousness.
Next thing I know, I was back in the room. They had successfully reopened the artery in my heart and dissolved the blood clot. Unknown to me, Kim had gone to talk with family and friends in the room and explained what happened—because of the blood clot, I had a heart attack after the first procedure. The first thing I remember were hands holding my left hand and arm, and the softest lips touching my forehead with a tender kiss, and Susanne saying, “Hey baby, I love you so much. Everything went great.” I looked up and saw wet eyes and the prettiest smile on earth. It sure was good to hear a familiar voice!
The next day they released me. As soon as I got home, I returned a call from an old, old, friend—Scotty Daniels. He answered and said he had talked with my mom about what all had happened and wanted to check on me. We discussed everything, but it was more than that. Scotty and my dad were good friends. Since my dad’s passing, every time I see or talk with Scotty, I can hear my dad. It is actually uncanny. Their mannerisms, humor, quick wit, and care has always been so similar. “Well,” Scotty said, “The good Lord is not finished with you, boy!” Spoken exactly how my dad would say it. All I could think was how good it was to hear a familiar voice!
According to the Scriptures, man’s days are few and filled with trouble. (Job 14:1) We survive with grace by hearing, following, and being comforted by the voice of our Lord. And the Lord speaks to His children through various avenues, including the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, nature, circumstances, pleasures, and even pain. But one of the most remarkable ways that He speaks is through others. Yes, the Lord wants to use you and me to be a familiar voice of truth, grace, and mercy toward friends and family. And one of the clearest voices is to simply ‘be there’ when someone goes through a deep trial.
Everyone deserves to hear a familiar voice when tossed into the valley of sorrow! Let us all be… a familiar voice!
