"I Cannot Do Anymore...I Need You, Lord "

By Ben Carson, Think Big


If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)

Once when I was operating deep inside a brain, an artery broke loose
in an area that I couldn't see. This resulted in vigorous bleeding.
Because we couldn't see where the blood was coming from, it looked as
though we might lose the patient. Without consciously deciding to do so, I
just started praying for God's help. I have learned to act on intuition in
such emergencies.

Just then I did something that, in the telling, seems almost
irrational. I placed the bipolar forceps into the pool of blood where the
bleeding might be coming from. It started sucking away the blood. I
pleaded, "God, you've got to stop this bleeding. Please, God, I cannot
control it."

Strange as it may seem at that instant the bleeding stopped without
my ever being able to locate its cause. Afterward, the patient awakened
and recovered fully.

At another time we had a man from Bermuda who had trigeminal
neuralgia (an extremely painful condition of face caused by irritation of
the fifth cranial nerve). Before we had methods to treat this condition,
many patients committed suicide because of the constant pain.

I had to put the needle into an exceptionally small hole at the base
of his skull and pass it up to the level of the ganglion. This process
requires a skill in which I had to develop a great deal of proficiency
during my days as a medical student. On that particular day, however, no
matter what I did, I could not get the needle into the hole. I had worked
at this for nearly two hours before it occurred to me that perhaps I
should just give up.

Just before quitting, I finally prayed: "Lord I cannot get the needle
in. There is no way I can do it. I am going to take this needle and push
it in one more time. I want You to guide it into the hole, because I
cannot seem to do it."

I took the needle, pushed it, and went right through the hole as if
it had a mind of its own. A feeling of deep gratitude came over me. I feel
that it is a little risky to relate an incident like this because I can
almost hear skeptics say, "Oh, come on, Ben, that is ridiculous. Why would
you even say a thing like that?"

Yet, for me it is not absurd; it is what I expect. In talking with
other Christian surgeons, I have learned that some of them understand
because they have experienced similar feelings of God guiding their
hands.

When we develop a relationship with God and believe that He is
working through us, we still have moments of helplessness---when God has
an opportunity to do something for us. This happens when we give our
best---which, at the particular moment, does not seem good enough. Ready
to give up, we say aloud or silently, "I cannot do anymore, Lord. I need
You."

At such moments we provide God with the opportunity to respond. Truly,
"Man's eternity is God's opportunity."

From: jgat@mozcom.com