Top 4 Hospital Cafeterias

4. Blodgett Hospital.  To be fair this may be number one for all I know.  I have been there several times, but I have never eaten a meal there.  So that is why it is four of four as of now.  I reserve the right to move it closer to the top later on down the road.

3.  St. Mary's Hospital.  Ok I think they have the worst food out of the bunch.  Some of it is gross to me.  (No offense to anyone who works there).  The one thing they do have going for them is free refills on Dr. Pepper, which is nice.

2. Spectrum Butterworth Hospital.  This cafeteria is the biggest with the biggest selection.  The food is ok, better than St. Mary's  The problem with this hospital is the price.  They think a lot of there food.  A hamburger is like $20, apparently beef is very rare there.  (ok maybe a slight exaggeration). But they do have a lot of fresh fruits.

1.  And the number one hospital cafeteria is, wait for it, wait for it.  Metro Hospital.  The cafeteria has a subway right in the cafeteria.  But if you do not do that, everything else is good as well.  There salad bar is some good eatin.  Hamburgers good, french fries good, chicken good, soup good, fish good. It is all good.  The price is reasonable.  The only draw back is there is no free drink refills.

So there it is.  If you are looking for a good hospital cafeteria and you are in the Grand Rapids area. Those are my recommendations.  

What is your favorite hospital cafeteria?

P.S.
If you want the best hospital cafeteria, you have to go to Greenville Memorial Hospital in South Carolina.  That is where my daughter was born.  It blows all four of these off the charts.  They even have a Chick Fil A.  

Hard Times

5 Things I learned about Hard Times from Jesus while reading Isaiah 38.  It is the story told of King Hezekiah's sickness and healing.  

1.     During hard times turn to the Lord in prayer.

Life was pretty good for Hezekiah until got sick. This was it, he was going to die.  No one wants that word from God.  “Give me a word God.  You are going to die. I think we got a bad connection.”  But this was not the first time he turned to God. He had sat and walked with God whole life.  Not perfect by any means, but faithfully.  This is what he felt during his hard time.  Whatever time I have left is spent in death’s waiting room.  No more meetings with my neighbors.  No more rubbing shoulders with friends.  This body I inhabit is taken down and packed away like a camper’s tent.  The blessing of a long life is denied.  Like a lion, God pummels and pounds me.  My eyes ache from looking up for help: I’m in trouble! Get me out of this!”  But what’s the use? God himself gave me the word. He’s done it to me.  I can’t sleep, I’m that upset, that troubled.

Have you ever prayed those prayers?

Hezekiah continued to look to heaven despite his feelings. During hard times turn to God.  James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble, sick? Let them pray.  Prayer is the medicine for every sore.  Kept relying on God during hard times.

2.    God will strengthen me during hard times so I can strengthen others.

Vs. 6 I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. Hezekiah and the city were somehow connected.  The life of such a king was the life of the kingdom.  His death would distress the whole nation.  He was not just stressed for himself, but for his kingdom.  We have wrongly individualized our lives. We have lost the connection we should have with all of humanity.  When we get sick we feel bad for ourselves, but also we start to feel bad for those close to us. T I am blessed to be a blessing.  I am healed to give hope.  I have strength to strengthen.  I have joy to give joy.  I go through mourning to help those who are mourning.  I don’t know if or when the hard time will pass in this life, but pray for strength to accomplish your God given purposes.  Most of the time you minister out of your hurting.  So don’t waste a hurt, a divorce, a sickness, a loss.  Allow God to heal you so you can work with God to heal others.  It was not good, but God is good and God can use you through that hard time to help others. The Cross was not good but became the ultimate good for helping others. 

3.    Hard times can make you humble.

15 I have had these troubles in my soul, so now I will be humble all my life. ERV

Trouble strips away pride.  During trouble we realize we need God all the time.  Affliction should bring us to Scripture, church, to prayer.  God has a gracious ear opened to the oppressed.  God heard the Israelites cry in slavery. God will use the hard times for those who humble themselves to pour out his grace on us.

4.    Hard times can make your spirit strong and healthy. 2 Cor 4:17, 2 Kings 18:5

16 Lord, use this hard time to make my spirit live again. Help my spirit become strong and healthy. Help me become well! Help me live again!

It seems it was good for me to go through all those troubles.  Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. 
2 Cor 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

When you read biographies, it was the hard times that formed people.  If there was no hard times there is nothing to read about.  

A breakdown of Les Miserables. Jean Val Jean, mayor of city, raises an orphan daughter, lives a long life, dies he goes to heaven, great story.  All that is true, but I left out, 20 years in prison, hunted down for most of his life by authorities, illiterate, orphan daughter’s mother watched her die, a little thing called the French Revolution.

Hard times are chapters in your story that help shape your whole book/life. Don’t let suffering be the whole story.  Just a chapter that forms the whole

5.    Good will come from this. Matt 1:9-10, 16

Everything is gonna be alright

Scholars believe Hezekiah collected Old Testament books after his sickness

Pro 25:1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:

He became even more devoted to Scripture.  We may not have much of the Bible if not for this sickness.  History credits Hezekiah with overseeing the compilation of Isaiah, Proverbs, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes.

After Hezekiah's sickness and healing,  3 years later he would have a son, Manasseh.  His sickness made him want to have a family.  

-Matt 1:9-10 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, ¹⁰ Hezekiah the father of Manasseh 16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.

Hezekiah's sickness worked out for the ultimate good.

Living For Jesus:

1.    This week take your sickness and troubles to God in prayer.

2.    Ask God to use this hard time so you can strengthen others.

3.    Picture the whole of your book(life).  How does this hard time fit into the whole.  Have an  

eternal perspective.

4.    Do you believe good will come from the hard time.

Roles, Interests, Values, and Goals

Your God given roles, interests, values,  and goals live them with all you got. Otherwide we are just existing until we die.

Roles-spouse, child, friend, parent, leader, job, ministry, etc

Take a moment a right down five of your roles.  If you don't write them don't they will float around in your head without much impact (generalized statement).  

Interests-art, music, gardening, decorating, sewing, writing, reading, etc

Take a moment a right down five of your interests

Values, worship, service, giving, love, joy, peace, etc

Take a moment a right down five of your values

Goals- buy a house, car, go on vacation to Europe, get married, have children, buy an ipad, etc

Take a moment a right down five of your goals

If we do not through prayer, wisdom, experience, and right advice figure all four life will lack meaning, joy, and beauty.  Dream about these at the same time being realistic.  Have faith that they will come about, and over time we will be surprised what we will become.  I believe the best way to do this is by connecting with Jesus and asking him to lead you in all four areas.  We do this through prayer, Scripture, his church, communion, baptism, serving, etc.    

Let us apply ourselves to the business of life while life lasts.  At death there is nothing else we can do, plan, know, or understand.  All will be settled our race will be complete.  We don’t get to decide when that is.  We only get  to decide what will do with what we have, the present.  Yesterday's gone on down the river and you can't get it back.  One day it will be too late to mend the errors of life, too late to repent and make our peace with God, too late to lay up anything in store for eternal life, and too late to make our good , God given life of use.  It must be done now or never.  Today is the day. Jesus said, "As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work."  One day I will die, but today I am alive.  Think I will stay and enjoy, at least for today.  What will I do with this day.