As I came to, I wondered, “Where am I?” A moment later, I wondered, “How in the world did I get here?” I was on my bathroom floor. My head and my right shoulder were leaned up against the vanity. The fact that I couldn’t figure out how I got there was proof that at that moment, cognitively, I was still three fries short of a happy meal. What I did next confirmed it, because I pulled myself back up, as quickly as I could.
And a moment later, it was Deja vu all over again. “Where am I?” And then, “How in the world did I get here?” As I processed my surroundings, my brain began to hit on a few cylinders again. “Glenn, you just passed out. Twice.” This time I stood up much more carefully. Slowly. I looked at my right hand. It was covered in sweat. As were my other hand, both arms, and my forehead. I remembered how “off” I felt when I got up and wobbled my way to the bathroom. And then I rubbed my head, because it felt a little sore. That’s when I looked at the bottom of my hollow-core bathroom door and saw the hole my head had punched in it. “Well,” I thought. “At least that’s something. Anybody who knows me, knows I am a hard-head.”
I abbreviated my morning bathroom ritual. Got dressed. Very gingerly tackled the steps to go downstairs. There I started to get breakfast together. My daughter, Tori, and my son-in-law, Justin were visiting. But I didn’t get too far with breakfast. Instead, I needed to sit at the kitchen table. There I waited for the kids to come down. I explained what happened. Tori inspected my hard head and picked a few door splinters out of my hair. Both kids were worried that I might have a concussion, until I complained to Tori that I had ruined a perfectly good door, and now I’d have to replace it. Tori’s response? “No, that’s Dad. He’s as clear-headed as he ever is.”
But I felt like I had been hit by a Mac truck. And the cause for my passing out? Heat exhaustion from the day before. I had been working in the yard and garden a chunk of the day and hadn’t hydrated adequately. Friday night I started to have the shivers. By Saturday morning, my body was fighting to reset.
So much for the plans I had made to enjoy the day with the kids. Instead the day was spent with my daughter--who transitioned into full mother-mode making sure I rested. And that I hydrated. And that I hydrated. And that I hydrated. She did let me watch her water my flower pots and garden. But nothing else. Later in the day, she insisted I text Pastor Luchterhand to give him a heads-up that I might not be able to lead Sunday worship. “Ah, Tori, I’ll be fine by tomorrow.” Good thing I listened to her. When I got up at 5 AM on Sunday, I realized I could barely walk. When I passed out, I twisted my bad hip and right knee. So God’s people wouldn’t want Festus gimping around and wobbling while distributing communion. I texted Steve again, and he graciously took the Sunday and Monday services for me.
Today (Tuesday, July 8), I’ve been out and about again. I had a morning meeting with Steve, and afterwards several shut-in visits at Rennes in Rhinelander. I still walk a bit like Festus. And my thinking processes are now only back up to 1 fry short of a Happy Meal. When I came home, I took an hour-long nap.
And what did this Deja vu passing-out episode teach me, other than the fact that I have a hard head? “There are many plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21) Man proposes, but God disposes. I had all kinds of plans for last Saturday with my kids, but none of them happened. And I was really looking forward to delivering last weekend’s sermon, but health concerns dictated otherwise.
Yet the Lord’s purposes prevailed. It wasn’t just blind dumb luck that I had family with me when this happened. I have thanked the Lord over and over again in my prayers for that!
And although it was humbling for my hard-headed ego to admit that I couldn’t lead worship this past weekend, it was the right thing to do. Pastor Luchterhand stepped in and did just fine reading my sermon. Plus, he didn’t gimp around during the liturgy or while distributing communion. Stepping up to help one another is what we believers are called to do. As the Apostle Paul once said, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
I’m still hydrating and working to get back to 100% after my hard-head run-in with my bathroom door. But as I look back at what happened, I’m thinking my Heavenly Father saw a need to inject another teachable moment into my life. “Instead, it is better for you to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live, and we will do this or that.” (James 4:15)
Privileged to serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke
And a moment later, it was Deja vu all over again. “Where am I?” And then, “How in the world did I get here?” As I processed my surroundings, my brain began to hit on a few cylinders again. “Glenn, you just passed out. Twice.” This time I stood up much more carefully. Slowly. I looked at my right hand. It was covered in sweat. As were my other hand, both arms, and my forehead. I remembered how “off” I felt when I got up and wobbled my way to the bathroom. And then I rubbed my head, because it felt a little sore. That’s when I looked at the bottom of my hollow-core bathroom door and saw the hole my head had punched in it. “Well,” I thought. “At least that’s something. Anybody who knows me, knows I am a hard-head.”
I abbreviated my morning bathroom ritual. Got dressed. Very gingerly tackled the steps to go downstairs. There I started to get breakfast together. My daughter, Tori, and my son-in-law, Justin were visiting. But I didn’t get too far with breakfast. Instead, I needed to sit at the kitchen table. There I waited for the kids to come down. I explained what happened. Tori inspected my hard head and picked a few door splinters out of my hair. Both kids were worried that I might have a concussion, until I complained to Tori that I had ruined a perfectly good door, and now I’d have to replace it. Tori’s response? “No, that’s Dad. He’s as clear-headed as he ever is.”
But I felt like I had been hit by a Mac truck. And the cause for my passing out? Heat exhaustion from the day before. I had been working in the yard and garden a chunk of the day and hadn’t hydrated adequately. Friday night I started to have the shivers. By Saturday morning, my body was fighting to reset.
So much for the plans I had made to enjoy the day with the kids. Instead the day was spent with my daughter--who transitioned into full mother-mode making sure I rested. And that I hydrated. And that I hydrated. And that I hydrated. She did let me watch her water my flower pots and garden. But nothing else. Later in the day, she insisted I text Pastor Luchterhand to give him a heads-up that I might not be able to lead Sunday worship. “Ah, Tori, I’ll be fine by tomorrow.” Good thing I listened to her. When I got up at 5 AM on Sunday, I realized I could barely walk. When I passed out, I twisted my bad hip and right knee. So God’s people wouldn’t want Festus gimping around and wobbling while distributing communion. I texted Steve again, and he graciously took the Sunday and Monday services for me.
Today (Tuesday, July 8), I’ve been out and about again. I had a morning meeting with Steve, and afterwards several shut-in visits at Rennes in Rhinelander. I still walk a bit like Festus. And my thinking processes are now only back up to 1 fry short of a Happy Meal. When I came home, I took an hour-long nap.
And what did this Deja vu passing-out episode teach me, other than the fact that I have a hard head? “There are many plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21) Man proposes, but God disposes. I had all kinds of plans for last Saturday with my kids, but none of them happened. And I was really looking forward to delivering last weekend’s sermon, but health concerns dictated otherwise.
Yet the Lord’s purposes prevailed. It wasn’t just blind dumb luck that I had family with me when this happened. I have thanked the Lord over and over again in my prayers for that!
And although it was humbling for my hard-headed ego to admit that I couldn’t lead worship this past weekend, it was the right thing to do. Pastor Luchterhand stepped in and did just fine reading my sermon. Plus, he didn’t gimp around during the liturgy or while distributing communion. Stepping up to help one another is what we believers are called to do. As the Apostle Paul once said, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
I’m still hydrating and working to get back to 100% after my hard-head run-in with my bathroom door. But as I look back at what happened, I’m thinking my Heavenly Father saw a need to inject another teachable moment into my life. “Instead, it is better for you to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live, and we will do this or that.” (James 4:15)
Privileged to serve,
Rev. Glenn Schwanke
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