Look To The Rock

“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. (Isaiah 51:1 ESV)

My husband has spent the majority of his adult life as a coach. He has mentored many, many athletes through football, baseball, basketball, and track. He also spent most of his younger years as an active participant in each of these sports. I guess this gives you some insight into the fact that I am married to a “man’s man.”

Not only is he a gifted athlete and coach, but he is also large in stature. He’s a pretty hefty guy who could send shivers up and down the spine of an all-you-can-eat buffet manager.

We have been married almost 47 years, and I consider him to be my rock. I know he’s always there to catch me if I fall. Well, he is “my rock” after the first 15 minutes of a crisis.

Let me explain. For some reason known only to God, in times of crisis his body suffers vasovagal syncope. Huh?

If you’re not a medical professional, then know that vasovagal syncope occurs when your body overreacts to certain triggers such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress. This causes a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, leads to reduced blood flow to the brain, and results in a brief loss of consciousness. In other words, HE FAINTS!

Once after I had surgery, the nurses were returning me to my room, and as they transferred me to the bed, I began to moan in pain. Now, I was “out of it” at the time and wasn’t aware of what was happening…..but I was later told that my husband took one look at me and passed out.

Another time, his dad suffered a cardiac episode so severe that the crash cart had to be employed. Just like in the movies, the staff pushed all the family out the door while they worked on him.

My husband awoke a few minutes later on the hospital floor and had to receive assistance getting up from his elderly mother and pregnant sister. Thankfully, his dad also survived the ordeal.

I don’t reveal this to belittle or demean him in any way. It is a physical reaction over which he has no control. But you see, each of us has someone on whom we can depend, someone who is our ROCK! But the simple truth is, at some point in time, our human rock will fail us. Our only solid rock is Jesus.

We are told in Exodus 17 that when Moses smote the rock and water came forth, the Hebrew children drank “of that spiritual rock.” The Psalmist understood that the Lord is our only rock: For who is God save the LORD? Or who is a rock save our God?

If we fully depend on Him, Isaiah tells us in chapter 51:1, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn.”

Did you hear that? We are hewn from THE ROCK! We are literally carved out of God Himself! I know of no other rock we need! Do you? CJ