Today Is A Good Day

I don’t know about you, but life has been rough for me lately. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the hard things and lose perspective. So today I wanted to share a little piece of flash fiction (a very short story) with you. It’s based on the experience of a friend of mine. I wrote this story years ago, but it still reminds me how a small change in perspective can make a big difference. Whatever you’re going through right now, I hope this story encourages you too. 

 

 

A Good Day 

 

Gunshot wounds, poison ivy, broken arms…talk about a rough day. Six hours into my shift, I finally had five minutes to gulp down a cup of coffee. EMT training was tougher than I expected, especially the required ER duty. 

            

I threw away the Styrofoam cup and hustled back to the ER just in time for the next emergency. 

            

“Nineteen-year old male, stab wound in the back, unresponsive.” The EMT quickly relayed pertinent information to the doctor as they wheeled the patient down the hall and into a room. 

            

“Chest compressions – go!” The ER doctor shoved me into place beside the gurney while nurses bustled around us hooking the patient up to various equipment.

            

I focused on the man’s chest, continuing CPR. After several minutes, I noticed a scalpel appear in the space between my hands. The doctor made a quick incision and the patient’s chest fell open. I stepped back as blood spurted everywhere. 

            

“Clamp!” yelled the doctor. With the bleeding stopped, he reached into the chest cavity and lifted the heart so he could hold it. Gently he began to massage the man’s heart. 

            

Seconds ticked by…turning into minutes.

            

Then, a thunderous “beep” sounded from the machine beside me.

            

“We’ve got a heartbeat!” called the nurse. 

            

The doctor placed the man’s heart back in its place. “Get him into surgery.” 

            

I steered clear as the nurses quickly rolled the patient away. 

            

The rest of my shift went by in a blur. Finally, it was time to head home. In a fog of fatigue, I wandered through the parking lot toward my car.

            

A horn blared; tires squealed. My heart stopped. Then started racing. 

            

“Watch it!” A man yelled from the blue ford that had just missed me. 

            

I stepped to the side and leaned on a pickup as the guy drove away. My heartbeat slowly returned to normal.

            

My heart! Still beating.

            

I sighed. It was a good day. 

 

 

“...all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 

-Psalm 139:16 (NIV)

 

“This is the day the LORD has made; let's rejoice and be glad in it.” 

-Psalm 118:24 (CSB)