Hmm I had a heart attack.

That used to mean something and sometimes today it still does but about 24 hrs after my last post I was walking on a treadmill along with my brother who was on one next to me. I started to feel some chest pain but dismissed it. After 20 minutes it went away and we started lifting weights. When Paul was not finished I decided to go back to the treadmill and get a few more minutes in. The pain came back immediately x10 and this time it did not go away. I didn't get scared, I got frustrated like when you go outside and see you have a flat tire. "Oh great, this is really inconvenient!" was my true reaction. We went home, I sat for an hour before my wife convinced me that calling 911 was a good idea, which she did. Blood was drawn, x-rays were taken, a million questions were asked, tests were done and a finally a heart attack was confirmed. A stent was placed and I went home in less that 48 hrs. I never got sick or sweaty, never lost consciousness, never went to intensive care, never had a tearful goodbye with my wife we never thought about or worried about dying. It was like I had injured myself in ball game. I expected to live and could not have cared less if I died. Is this grace? I'd say so. I did not want to go through this but God allowed it and we were ready, by His doing, to ride this one through live or die. As I sit here back home in my apartment in downtown Chicago, it seems like it never happened. It was spiritually beneficial and a good test but it's over and we will move on and that IS grace, when you need it as long as you need it. What a gracious loving God we serve!