By Steve Stricker

Columnist

Submitting this on Thursday, February 27, met with Dr. Lyn’s Nurse Katie at 11:30 am in his Oxford Baptist Hospital Medical Complex, first consult after the procedure on Tuesday, February 18 where he successfully connected that third lead of my new pacemaker to the back of my heart. Katie checked me out, all great, surgical incisions well healed, signed off on me, nice personal visit (you got this), and she made an appointment with my Cardiologist Dr. Mark Campbell of the Stern Cardiovascular Center for me later this March.

Prior to meeting Katie, I took a bouquet flowers, card, and copy of the Oxford Eagle paper from day before with my column about all those procedures to Hope, Leslie, Rachel who prepped me for surgery with lots of laughs and care because they blew me away when they sent me an awesome card a few days ago and they mean so much to me… So good to see you Leslie and Hope – love y’all!!

Today is Wednesday, March 5 – Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent 2025 – Perfect. As a priest scribes a Cross on my forehead with ashes from the palms of Palm Sunday at early Mass and says, “Remember that you are dust and onto dust you shall return.”  Been doing a lot of meditating on that lately….

Lent (Latin, Quadragesima “40th) reflecting the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert, tempted by Satan, before beginning his public ministry – Bam, like that today I shut down all external stuff and pull way within myself.  Much needed right now and abandon me as each and every day to God’s will. Forever I have given up alcohol, a multitude of things, and relish this time of deep prayerful meditation until Easter and how God is so good to me.

This will be extremely special this year with my new heart, new life as to why God has allowed me to live and what He wants me to do for Him.  So thankful to be alive and these next 40 quiet days in the desert will be a time of grace-filled healing; always a redeeming, wonderful period – cannot wait.

Ironically from January 23 first heart procedure, to February 18 the second, to Ash Wednesday has been 40 days – a time of much trial, pain, anxiety, and being lost in the desert of uncertainty about my future…I welcome these next 40 healing, quiet days of Lent.

To you and to all my wonderful Facebook prayer friends, family – especially all medical staff I pray that you will feel my prayers as I felt yours – THANK YOU!

I am humbly doing great, healing, and my future is as humbly clear to infinity.  This life is about giving your life to God and caring about each other.  Amen? Go Baseball Rebels!

PS:  To Leslie Hall, well done “Red!” It was your fault!

Steve lives in Oxford, worked on Campus, and has his Ph.D., in Counseling from Ole Miss