Monday, April 15, 2024
Connected in story, connected in christ
an easter story by sherry herzig
Our Church’s Saturday Night Vigil was eloquent and emotional. The rising flames on the patio beckoned parishioners out of the darkness. The Paschal Candle floated through the young and old as each small candle was lighted in turn. As we processed, we were bringing Christ’s light into the Church, into the world and yes, into our own lives.
Tom and I drove home filled with notes of glorious music; the trumpeter’s proclamation of the Good News, Aaron’s beautiful and hope filled sermon and an Easter song in our hearts.
I laid out my Easter outfit before crawling into bed. I love the church’s calendar of colors so I had looked up what Easter Sunday colors are. I chose white and also my Valentine’s Day scarf which symbolizes for me God’s Love for His people. At 2 AM , cozy in my bed, I awoke suddenly in excruciating pain. I curled up in the fetal position hugging, grabbing, grasping at my chest. The pain was almost impossible to bear.
My first thought was indigestion from all the delicious brunch foods earlier on Saturday. I grabbed on tighter, clutching my chest. I didn’t want to wake up Tom. Later, Tom said I had probably stayed in the painful position for 2-3 hours. I got up to go to the bathroom, then reached into the hall closet to get three Tums and went back to bed. In hindsight, the fact that I fell back to sleep for a few hours sounds crazy.
We woke up around 6AM, I got dressed in my Easter outfit fully intending to go to the Easter Sunday service, but because of Tom’s urgent urging, we headed to the Emergency Room instead. Have you ever been to any Emergency Room when it was completely empty? So, we were immediately welcomed and moved right along with all their procedures and tests and forms. Following the first set of test results, I was moved along a little faster. Literally, ‘doors’ were opened for me, and I saw God’s Hand in it all.
I was still a mystery to the doctors. I had no reason to be having a Heart Attack and they were still unsure if that was what was going on. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I exercise, I’m in good health, I eat well, I have no family history of heart disease. What was going on? The CT scan, the Electrocardiogram, the X-Rays all showed nothing.
The numbers for the troponin enzyme detector for heart damage, however, were climbing. The numbers climbed 1000, 1600, and 9800, and then it hit 12,000 (it’s supposed to be a negative number or below 40). They finally confirmed that I was indeed having a heart attack. So, Tom and I are getting worried. They were testing for the troponin about every couple of hours or so. The last number I remember was 12,000.
I had been told earlier that the Cardiology team doesn’t work on weekends and that I might have to wait until Monday. The Lord opened another door for me. The surgical team was called in on Easter Sunday, away from their family Easter dinners and egg hunting. I was whisked away to surgery. Later, I learned the troponin level had peaked at 60,000.
The reason the test results didn’t show anything was because the damage was all at the back of my heart. The surgeon finally found it with a catheter.
I had two large blockages. One was a 95% blockage, the second was a lesser one and there were three others that would just be closely monitored. I now have two stents. Afterward, when the Cardiologist came in, he still seemed in a bit of disbelief and remarked that, “I just had had some very bad luck.” I’m thinking well, that’s one perspective.
It dawned on me later that while still dark on that first Easter Sunday morning in Jerusalem, some accounts were even saying it occurred around 2-3 AM which was the exact time I was having my heart attack, the stone in front of the tomb where Jesus had been buried had been rolled back by an Angel. The three Marys were there wondering what had occurred. The Angel spoke, “He is not here. He has Risen.”
The Angel’s words were not lost on me. I heard, ‘She is not here. Sherry is Risen.’ I was now an integral part of the Resurrection Story. I felt it. I knew it in my heart. Born anew again and again and again and right then.
I feel so many blessings in this rather unpredictable event. I am overflowing with JOY! How could I not feel deep down soulful JOY when I have come out of the tomb alive and well and probably better than ever! God was so Present.
Have Your Way in me, Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! All is well.
Sherry
Our lives are patched together like a quilt, made up of pain and joy. Share an experience when you knew you were loved during one of these seasons. Share a story, in word, image, or art, via email to the Pastor Aaron at associate@stjohnsnh.org.