Water For Life

Water For Life

The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Isaiah 58:11

When the woman was brought into the ER, I immediately recognized Charlotte, whom I’d known for many years. She had recently turned eighty and had told me she was ready to go whenever the Lord called her. With how she looked now, I thought she might be going sooner, rather than later.

“Dr. Anderson, Charlotte hasn’t eaten in over a week. She has a living will, and she specifically ruled out heroic measures, but is there something we can do?”

When I examined Charlotte, she didn’t blink or move. Her mucus membranes were dry, and her skin tented when pinched. There wasn’t an extra drop of water in her system.

“I know she said no ventilator or CPR, but I believe she checked the box to receive IV fluids and antibiotics, if needed, for a short while. Let’s send her blood work to the lab.”

It didn’t take long for the test results to confirm my suspicions. Charlotte was severely dehydrated, and her kidneys were shutting down. She also had a urinary tract infection. At her age, this combination is often fatal. I spoke to her family about treatment options, while still honoring her wishes for no heroic measures.

After a short conversation and much prayer, we agreed to give her fluids and antibiotics for the next forty-eight hours. Then we’d reassess. “That allows us to make her more comfortable while giving God time to make his will known.”

By the next morning, her lab numbers looked better. Her BUN had dropped from 120 to 80 (normal is 6–20), and her creatinine had dropped from 5.0 to 3.2 (normal is 0.5–1.0). She had turned the corner. God wasn’t calling her home just yet.

We kept Charlotte in the hospital until we were sure her infection had cleared up and she was no longer dehydrated. During that time, her mental fog also cleared. We had treated her medically, but more important, the Lord had refreshed her with new life from his living water. Charlotte soon returned home and continued to be a blessing and a joy to her family.

TODAY’S RX

When we’re physically dehydrated, we need IV fluids to restore us. If you’re spiritually dehydrated, ask God to refresh you with his living water.

Lord, I confess that my faith often goes through dry seasons, being withered by the world around me. Fill me with your wisdom and truth so that my faith may instead be like an ever-flowing spring, bringing glory to you.