“She Never Gave Up, She Simply Gave Out"

While I sat with the family in the surgery waiting area, I saw the elevator doors open. It was the surgeon. As he walked the 25 feet or so to the waiting room, he was looking at the floor as though he was searching for something. When he came into the surgery waiting area all eyes were on him. He was an older gentleman with many years of saving lives. He immediately sat down in one of the chairs and began to describe in layman terms the very difficult and tedious aspects of the surgery.

The aneurism had grown to the size of her stomach and was simple impossible to repair in the few precious moments available. In addition, she had apparently suffered a heart attack. Then I heard it. The surgeon said that during the surgery  “she never gave up the fight, she just simply gave out.” As these words rang through our ears we know she had gone on to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It only took a few minutes for the reality of the statement, “she never gave up the fight, she just simply gave out” to sink into me like warm rays of sunshine  breaking through on a cold and snowy day. This lady’s life was a living testimony of that statement.  She was an 80 year old grandmother with a love for her God and family that compelled her to be a “force for God” to be reckoned with in this earth. I watched as her children and grand children began to count the tremendous loss of her on going presence and impact in their daily lives.

She had recently had cataract surgery so she could continue to drive herself and be present in the lives of those God had entrusted to her care.

I watched as two very big and strong grandsons began to weep as they felt the loss of her presence in their lives. She was in their hearts at such a deep level that could only be express with tears. I said to the young men as I hugged them that they needed to “let it go” and cry. I said that she was watching them and needed to see if all her hard work in their lives would be missed and that it would bring her joy to see them miss her.

As I drove home from the hospital, I wondered about my life. I wondered if it would be said of me one day, “he never gave up the fight, he just simply gave out”. I realized that the “never give up” was about love and commitment, a sometimes rare commodity today. And that “simply giving out” was only about resources and not heart.  My life will continued to be impacted by the surgeons words spoken of a little 80 year old grandmother who “never gave up the fight, she just simply gave out.” 

Hebrews 12:2.

She was definitely…life-giving,

Alex Anderson

Dedicated to Virginia (Ginny) Cognac