EXPERIENCES - A Lesson from the Hospital Bed
A Gratitude to the Gift of Life
By: Ulysses C. Ybiernas | February 9, 2016
Sometimes, we become so engrossed in our own challenges that we lose sight of the broader human experience. In moments of despair, we grumble, question, and even direct our frustrations toward God. I found myself in such a state just days before Christmas in 2015, grappling with excruciating pain that landed me in the hospital.
For three days, I endured a relentless stomach ache, dulled only by strong painkillers. Treatments followed, yet the discomfort persisted. By the fifth day, the doctors concluded that surgery was necessary. They reassured me the situation wasn’t life-threatening; the organ they intended to remove was non-essential, something I could live without.
As I lay on the operating table, nerves mixed with a strange sense of surrender. One of the doctors leaned over and asked, “Are you ready, Sir?” “Yes, doctor,” I replied, with a bit of nervousness of what would happen next. Moments later, I saw a large syringe, and everything in my world faded into a deep slumber.
When I woke, a loud voice pierced through the fog. “Wake up, Sir Ulysses,” it called. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself in a recovery room with other patients, filled with medical staffs bustling around. A tremor ran through my body, and a sharp pain reminded me of the procedure I had just undergone.
Yet, in those fleeting moments before regaining consciousness, something extraordinary had happened. In my mind, I walked through a magnificent garden, lush and serene, accompanied by a fatherly figure. We spoke intimately, his presence radiating comfort and warmth. Just as I was about to sit on a bench under a canopy of trees, the vision dissolved, and I was pulled back into the stark reality of the hospital.
Though brief, that experience left an indelible mark on my soul. It felt like a divine encounter, an extraordinary moment of peace and love.
Later, while lying in bed, a news segment on television caught my attention. The story was about the war in Syria and a man who had lost everything, his home, his family, his sense of safety. The footage showed him standing amidst the ruins of his apartment, an injured figure of resilience, forced to take up arms to survive.
He spoke with haunting honesty, describing his pain and the hopelessness of his situation. Yet, in a moment of profound vulnerability, he revealed a startling prayer: he asked Allah for the "gift of death."
His words stayed with me. Here was a man surrounded by unimaginable suffering, choosing to embrace courage and faith even as he longed for release from his pain. In his darkest hour, he turned to his God, not with complaints, but with a request that reflected both his desperation and his humility.
In that moment, my own suffering felt small in comparison. While I had lamented my discomfort and feared the outcome of my surgery, this man had faced the complete destruction of his world. Yet, instead of succumbing to bitterness, he maintained a quiet resolve.
His story made me reflect deeply. Despite the physical pain and emotional challenges I faced, I felt a swell of gratitude for the life I still had. I realized how easy it is to focus on what we lack or fear losing, rather than cherishing what remains.
That Christmas season, I learned a powerful lesson. Pain, loss, and hardship are inescapable parts of the human experience, yet they offer us an opportunity to grow. Even in moments of despair, we can find solace in gratitude and strength in faith.
I was reminded that while some may pray for the "gift of death" amidst unbearable suffering, many of us are blessed to cling to the "gift of life." It’s a gift not to be taken for granted.
The man’s resilience, my garden vision, and the gratitude I found in the face of my struggles are reminders of the enduring power of the human spirit. Even in our darkest times, there is light to be found, a light that carries us forward with hope, humility, and peace.
"God give us a gift of life and it us up to us to give ourselves a gift of living well." - Voltaire
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