The Southwest Voice

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Suffering a brain aneurysm takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a Christian. It sure does for me.  As you may read in The Northwest Voice cover story, in early January ‘07 I had a headache that wouldn’t go away. My wife took me to Dr. Cousin who sent me to the hospital.  An MRI revealed a ruptured artery in my brain and they had to operate.

I don’t remember any of this. I do remember waking up in the hospital wondering where I was and why I was there. When my neurosurgeon Dr. Rashidi showed up at my bedside, he told me that 30 percent of people who have a ruptured aneurysm like mine “don’t make it to the operating table.” They die.  And the majority of people who survive have major complications, like they can’t walk or talk. He said I was part of an extremely small minority of people who can function as well as I do.

Lying there in the hospital bed, it never occurred to me to blame God. I didn’t get mad at God. I didn’t say, “Why me Lord?”

I said something like, “OK. What now, Lord?  You have my attention!”

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
— Romans 8:28

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 1:6

Apparently my work isn’t done. I realized, even lying in a hospital bed, that the Lord has a plan for my life and that I was entering the next phase, the next season.

In my absence from the television news business, God has shown me a lot and given me many opportunities to share my faith, to share my testimony, and to share my story about my brain aneurysm. I hope to have the opportunity to share my testimony with you in upcoming issues of The Voice. Until then remember that God has a plan for your life, too. If we are patient and faithful, God will lead us in the way He wishes us to go.

Editor’s note: We at The Northwest Voice are delighted to have Rusty Shoop as a contributor to our Faith section.