Running

Ha. Maybe you thought I'd taken up running. As in around the block or on a treadmill. Not me. Probably not ever. Stay with me though.

The prophet Alma spoke of Christ saying, "He may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:12)

Speaking of this, Brent Top said, "Succor is not a word that we use much in our normal, everyday conversations. yet it is a powerful word that conjures important images of help and aid. The word comes from the Latin succurrere, which means literally 'to run to help.' It implies urgent assistance."

I read that a couple days ago, and it got me thinking. In December 2007 when Kyle was 5-weeks-old I had most of my right eye removed in an evisceration---basically all that was left was muscles and the sclera (white part). It was an out-patient surgery. They sent me home, but I couldn't keep anything down---including and especially the pain pills. The block from the surgery ran out toward the late afternoon, and by nightfall I was in incredible pain. Taylor stayed with our kids, and my dad took me to the ER. I think I knew my name, but could give little else as to my identification. They checked me in and started an IV and got some drugs in me.

After a while the pain was somewhat relieved and they decided to feed me to see if I could keep food down. I couldn't. When the food came up my pain level skyrocketed. I looked helpless at the nurse and watched as she literally ran down the hall to a locked cabinet, got some morphine, then ran back to me. In one swift motion she grabbed my IV, pushed the morphine into my tubes, and within seconds I fell asleep---only to wake pain-free and rested about seven hours later.

I've thought about that a lot. I've seen my share of doctors. Most of them see people like me every day, so nothing about me is special or urgent. I'm sure as an ER nurse she sees people in pain daily. Certainly my pain was nothing unusual to her, and fixing it was probably routine. But she ran to assist me. I'm sure if she walked it would have made less than a minute's difference, and my pain would have been abated in the end anyway. But it made all the difference to me. I will forever be grateful for her urgency.

The interesting part of the story is that she couldn't change the cause of my pain. My eye had to have weeks to heal---and is still healing. But she was able to make me more comfortable while I healed. I think the Savior is that way. Very seldom will He take away the cause of our pain, but He makes our burden lighter and more bearable. As soon as we ask Him to be with us, He runs to be with us; to strengthen us.

And where does that leave us---we who are trying to be like Him? With the responsibility to provide urgent relief. Sometimes I hear of people suffering and really hope someone does something to help. And sometimes it simply can't be me---I'm not a nurse who can provide morphine, nor am I capable of physically providing relief for flood victims in Australia. But I can pray for them---immediately. And a lot of time we can be the one to assist---a kind word said, a compliment not withheld, a dinner in a time of need. And little by little as we learn to succor those in need of comfort we become---little by little---more like Him. And that is how I'd like to take up running.