The other day I visited the office of my cardiologist to monitor how well my blood-thinning medication was working in preventing blood clots. I run a higher risk of a blood clot forming because I have AFib (atrial fibrillation) and DVT (deep-vein thrombosis), but I have accepted it as God’s will for my life, which is, admittedly, not always easy at times. I resort to Romans 8:28 and ask for grace and wisdom in the matter.
Anyway, I need to avoid having my blood too “thin” which would prolong bleeding if I was injured, or too “thick” promoting inappropriate blood clotting. This testing is referred to as PT-INR.
Generally speaking, Prothrombin time (PT) evaluates the ability of my body to appropriately form blood clots, and the INR or international normalized ratio is a calculation based on the PT results of patients receiving anticoagulant Coumadin. My range is to be between 2.0 to 3.0. If my blood level is below 2.0, my blood is too thick; if it is above 3.0, my blood is too thin. Out of range, either way poses a threat to my physical health. So, it makes demands in managing my diet carefully, taking my medicine faithfully, and monitoring my PT-INR consistently.
Back in June, my PT-INR was 2.5, perfect, but the other day it was out of range! I had decided to have my PT-INR tested knowing I had missed two days prior to testing. I had never missed two days in a row being on Coumadin since 2006; I was intellectually curious and found out the results!
Because of a low reading of 1.4, the nurse had to check with the cardiologist on site for advice on what to tell me. I told her to tell the doctor that over the last six months, my PT-INR had been stable. Inform him I missed the last two days before testing, and he will tell you to have me do this (Keep in mind, I have never met this particular cardiologist. My cardiologist was not in the office at the time of my testing),
“Tell Mr. Alderman that because of his medical condition, do not miss taking his medication. Have him maintain the same dosage and return next week to have his PT-INR re-checked.”
The nurse returned from the doctor and gave me practically the same message I predicted he would tell her. I told the nurse, “Do you know how I knew he was going to say that?” She replied while looking at the computer monitor, “Because you are so smart?”
“Not at all,” I said. “I am no Albert Einstein, but I read somewhere that Einstein once said, ‘It’s not because I am so smart; it’s just that I stay with the problem longer.’ I certainly do not claim to know more than my doctors, but I have been doing this PT-INR thing since 2006. Address the obvious causations that may have contributed to a value outside the normal range and retest. If after the retest my results are still the same, ‘Houston, we got a problem.’ You don’t need an MD or Ph. D, having done this for 12 years.”
She smiled and admitted the decision was above her pay grade, and she was covering her bottom. I told her, “It’s okay; I would have done the same thing if I was in your position.” Before leaving I commented walking out the door, “By the way, you do know that I stayed in a Holiday Inn Express?” And the door closed behind me in the silence.
It is best to listen to those who know more than you about a particular subject. Both the nurse and the doctor were right in what they did. It was up to me now to do the right thing to keep me out of medical trouble. Without that medical device, I would not have known that my blood was thicker than I thought.
For our spiritual vitality, we have no need for any religious check-off list to determine whether we are spiritually healthy or not. The Holy Spirit living within us (1 Cor 12:13; Rom 8:9; Eph 1:13-14; Jn 3:8) and the Word of God (2 Tim 3:16-17) are sufficient. We may ignore the Word, but the Holy Spirit will not be ignored if we are truly born again. Being in the spiritually healthy range is being in the will of God. His will for our life will always be in accord with the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice – the Word of God.
The world sees this range as too restrictive, narrow, and frankly, ludicrous. To the contrary, the range of the kingdom of God is as open and vast as eternity itself; for foreverness is found within it (Eccl 3:14). It is the most sensible and sane thing we could ever do, staying within the range of God’s will for our lives with the help of Someone who knows us very well, the Holy Spirit (Psa 139:1-10)!
There will be times when we are unsure what the will of God is in a matter, but we can rest assured that His will is always 100% of the time in harmony with His Word. It is wise to have our spirituality checked against the Word daily. If our thinking, speaking, and doing are not within the range of Scripture, “Houston, we got a spiritual problem.”
To get us back home we have to be obedient to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Jn 1:9). Our spiritual condition is far more sensitive than we realize. Often, we need the Holy Spirit and the Word to reveal it to us as we grow in the knowledge of the things of God. And it is certainly good to be reminded of what we already know!
It isn’t spiritual rocket science. Disobedience to God generates a reprimand (cf. Heb 12:6; Jas1:14-15; contrast Gal 5:16; 1 Pet 1:15; 1 Cor 6:19-20); obedience expresses love for God (Jn 14:15) and always brings forth blessings (Josh 1:8; Psa 1:1-2, 3). Why do we struggle, my friends, with getting that principle through our noggins? Sheep aren’t the smartest creatures on earth; do you think?
If we do not stay in the Word and submit to its authority, we will find ourselves going beyond the range of God’s will as easily as some sheep with its head buried in the grass, grazing along and losing sight of the shepherd. Sheep naturally have a terrible sense of direction. Thankfully for us, the Shepherd never loses sight of His sheep. And who are God’s sheep? Those staying within the range of His will,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn 10:27).
God’s sheep follow Him (cf. Psa 23:1; Rom 8:14). It doesn’t mean we won’t ever stray, but when we do, we also know it is not spiritually healthy for us to do so until we have a 1 John 1:9 experience. There is no fellowship outside those parameters of godliness. Staying within the range is where all the spiritual blessings are to be found. <><
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