I had another Doctor's appointment. I made sure I'd be there on time. Not long after I arrived, I was called in to a small room to wait for the Doctor. And I waited...
And I waited..., and I waited and waited. Where was he? No doubt he was with a patient who was in more need of attention than me. I looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes have gone by..., twenty minutes, twenty-one minutes, one half hour... And I am waiting.
Much of life is taken up with waiting.
We wait for pain to end.
We wait for test results.
We wait in lines at the grocery store.
We wait for green lights.
We wait for food to be served.
We wait in darkness for sleep to come.
We wait for the cake to bake.
We wait for answers to prayer.
We wait for the Doctor to come.
We wait...
As I was sitting in that small exam room, impatience and anxiety was building within me. I tried focusing on my surroundings and listening for the sounds outside the closed door. Mostly I was listening for the footsteps of the Doctor.
Finally he came in to see me and he came with his apologies. Yes, there were two very sick people ahead of me, one who needed to be admitted to the hospital.
What about all that waiting time? Each and every moment is precious to the Lord. Our waiting may be His way of asking us to slow down, to "hit the pause button." To become aware of His Presence.
I did take time to pray while I waited, even in my anxiety. I know that the Lord was with me as I waited. Jesus may well be the one who was waiting for me, waiting for me to give Him my attention.
Waiting time is not wasted time. It's a time to reflect, to grow in patience, to pray. It's a time to listen for the Lord's "footsteps," coming to meet us. It's a time to become deeply aware that He is the One who meets all of our needs. He is the One so worth waiting for, waiting with. Come, Lord Jesus, come.
I know exactly how that feels! One winter, back when our children were young, I made a sick call appointment for one of them. When we got there, I heard the nurse say that they had filled all the regular rooms and was opening the "overflow wing." I knew we were in for a wait - three kids, one of them sick, in a small space. We played guessing games, we sang songs and nursery rhymes, I constructed dolls and animals out of tissues! The afternoon wore on and it started getting dark! I was about to give up, when a nurse threw open the door! They had not told the doctor they had opened the other wing, and no one else had come in after us! They were so upset that I had to laugh at the situation! We got seen. My child was prescribed the medicine and got well. God gave us the patience and the time together just to play. Thank you, God, for the graces You bestow while we wait!
ReplyDeleteOne thing about waiting for a doctor that is just what you said. There was "a patient who was in more need of attention." That's what gives me patience. I know that when my turn comes, I, too, will get the time I need, regardless of the schedule. Knowing that, I'd rather have a Doctor I have to wait for at times, than one who is always on time.
I also recall waiting with little children in the pediatrician's office. It was an exam room with medical equipment and the kids were curious about everything! It was a long wait before he showed up, and I was glad the room wasn't a wreck before he got there. Children give us lots of opportunities to be creative and "have time together just to play."
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