A Tijuana Tale!

Y’all, listen, I’ve got a story to tell you.   I haven’t written you much in the last couple of years. We can catch up on all that later. This story will take us to Tijuana, Mexico.   It is a long one, so settle in.  

I call “Seasons of Job” those times when you feel like you are living Job's life for whatever reason. (I'm talking about Job from the Bible for those of you who weren't "churched." ) Let me tell you, my “Season of Job” was a long one! I am finally feeling like myself again. Well, I did until I looked in the mirror and didn't recognize myself.   I sure did put on weight. I look like a coat of fluffy fat wrapped its arms around me to protect me from all of my feelings. Lord help! 

I tried to lose weight. Nothing worked! I saw doctors, but they were not helpful. Finally, a bariatric surgeon told me it is not as simple as calories in calories out. I needed a surgery. A procedure my insurance does not cover, of course.

That didn’t stop me. I found a reputable place in Tijuana, Mexico, that does the procedure for less than my deductible. I scheduled a time to do it. But I rescheduled when my grandmother became ill, and my son was less than happy with the idea.  

I waited about a week and still wanted to do it! I need the surgery. 

I made another appointment and completed the pre-op diet. I prayed about it, and I had others pray. I didn’t tell my son. I didn’t need him worried. Don’t judge me. I watched the Facebook group for this place. Going abroad for surgery isn't that uncommon.  

In the days before the surgery, California caught on fire! Los Angeles, California, that is. I was to fly into San Diego. Those wildfires made me pause. I called the hotel, the transportation people, and the surgery center to make sure I was going to be engulfed in flames while having this surgery. They all assured me it was fine. I prayed a lot, and so did a couple of good friends. 

Travel day came, and I went alone. I was a little anxious, but I had peace. A strange thing happened on the plane. I became super ill with nausea, dizziness, and hot flashes. I thought I was going to pass out. I started praying and begging God to help me.   I was out of it for a few minutes, and then suddenly, I was fine. Thank you, Jesus!  

Transportation alerted me they were on the way to pick me up from the San Diego Airport. I promptly asked them if the vehicle had identification, so they sent me the tag number. Once a risk manager, always a risk manager. The driver was great.

I made it to the surgery center. Everyone there was friendly. The place was super clean and Star Wars-themed. Very cool design.   I did my pre-op testing and headed to the recovery house to await surgery the following day. I was feeling good about my decision. 

The recovery house had a hospital vibe, but the people made up for it. Everyone was awesome. 

I woke up feeling good and ready to do the surgery. No worries. There were lots of prayers going up, of course. When I went to the lobby to be transported with the others to the surgery center, I asked if we could pray.   The whole room was full of people who agreed!   I felt terrific after prayer. Jesus was with me, and I was unafraid. There were even other people from Tennessee there! Everything was fine.

We arrived at the surgery center, and I noticed one of the ladies was crying, and her face was flushed. I was worried about her. 

They took me up to my room for my IV and pre-surgery prep. Then came and got me for surgery once my fluids and antibiotics were in. I was still okay. The surgeon came out and talked to me. The inner peace I had left.

The surgeon sent my nurse over to introduce herself while we were waiting for someone to come and put me to sleep. In an instant, I was no longer okay.   My spirit no longer had peace.  

I COULDN’T DO IT! I CANCELED MY SURGERY ON THE OPERATING TABLE!   I know some of you are thinking that it was anxiety and that I should have continued. I thought that, too, but it felt spiritual. Anytime I’ve ever ignored that Holy Spirit nudge, I regretted it. I couldn’t make a forever mistake! At least not another one, because I’ve made several. 

The team was kind. The surgery center refunded my money and gave me a complimentary room at the recovery center until I could be taken back to San Diego to fly home the next day. 

When I got back to the recovery center for that last night. I met awesome folks. We went shopping and to the beach. There were six of us. On the bus, we met “Guadalupe,” pronounced Lupita.   She was super cool, and when one of the ladies invited her along, she graciously decided to be our host. 

On the beach, they were selling adult beverages. Lupita shared that she doesn’t drink alcohol. I said, “Are you a Christian?”  She said, “No, are you? “I said, “Yes.”  I wish you could have seen her smile. We had lots of fun. The part for me was talking with Lupita about Jesus.  

When it was time for us to part ways, we gave Lupita a little gift for her kindness. She didn’t want to take the money. I said, “It is a free gift because Jesus loves you.”  She smiled brightly again and accepted the gift. 

The trip to the border and back to the airport was more Jesus talk. We saw some homeless people, which gave me another chance to talk to a car full of people about Jesus. I mentioned the mylar blankets Amazon sells in bulk. That gave me an opportunity to talk about Jesus and the time Faith Promise made tons of "blessing bags" for the homeless that included mylar blankets.  

The trip home was uneventful and amazing at the same time. God is on the move, y’all. There is so much I could tell you, but I will get to it eventually. 

I’m the crazy person who jumped up from the operating table in Tijuana, and I am okay with that. God works in mysterious ways. It is likely my trip went exactly as God had planned. How else could I go for surgery, have a great time, and not have surgery? Apparently, I was in Tijuana not to be operated on but to operate as an evangelical.  

Lord Jesus, you do have a sense of humor.