Day six of my recent, and only, hospital stay, had reached an impasse.
To remove the NG (naso-gastric) tube, running down my left nostril to my
stomach, my bowels had to move. An x-ray, taken the night before,
clearly showed stool, stacked and packed, on my right side in the
ascending intestine. I had a frozen bowel.
Two mild enemas administered the night before were not productive, so I was scheduled for a surgical enema.
As I awaited this stronger concoction, the Eucharistic Minister stopped to say some prayers. Earlier ministers had prayed with me, but did not offer the Eucharist, due to the sign at my door, “Nothing by mouth”. Realizing that Christ’s full presence: “body, blood, soul, and divinity”, was fully present in the smallest particle, I requested to receive. My spiritual messenger looked doubtful, but agreed to ask the nurse.
She returned with an “ok”, so she knelt next to my bed, said a prayer, and placed Christ on my tongue. A profound peace came over me, as the minister quietly exited, giving all credit to Christ.
Within thirty minutes, my bowels moved. I had to share my achievement with a nurse, but my surgeon unexpectedly had just stopped-in to examine me. I asked him to come into the bathroom to confirm my results. He announced, “It’s a boy!” Then he sat me on the bed, and pulled my stomach tube out of my nose.
What a relief! What a blessing!
“He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matt 17:20 NIV
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