Restoring Life: Anxietyናሙና

Day Two: Into the Unknown

We thrive in the known and build our worlds around what we know. We foster relationships and routines in our sphere of knowledge because it provides us a level of comfort and confidence. It provides us security. But what about when life suddenly thrusts us into an unknown situation, like surgery? 

It is very common for you, the patient, to be anxious as you step towards a surgical intervention. This anxiety is often a direct byproduct of your world rapidly moving from the known into the unknown. Why do I have this pain? What will my life be like after surgery? How long will it take me to recover? Will I miss work? The questions compound and build upon one another until we have worked ourselves into an anxious frenzy. Rest assured that there is peace available to you.

One avenue to that peace is to make your unknown, known. Proverbs states, “Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” So, take a deep breath and prepare before going to meet with your surgeon. Write out the questions you need answered and get to know your surgeon if he is a stranger. Ask for, and actually read, resources from your surgeons’ clinic about procedure and expectations. Ask a friend or coworker who has had the same procedure about their experience. Equip yourself with knowledge to remove the unknown.

But in the end, no matter your efforts to learn and understand everything ahead of time, you will still have to step into some unknown. You can do this by trusting the One who restores all, Jehovah Rapha, the ultimate Healer. For as author Bob Goff says, “The One who has called us is more powerful than all of the uncertainty we’re facing.” Take heart and do not be anxious, He has planned your steps, and everything is known to Him.