The first full week of January, I had medical appointments four out of five days as I think I did last year. I didn’t complain, but I think I was disappointed that I couldn’t get my life back to normal after the holidays because of all the appointments.
On Friday, January 10, as I pondered how the week had gone thus far, God impressed on me, as He has done in the past, that each of these appointments was exactly where I was supposed to be this week.
My devotional time confirmed what the Holy Spirit was saying. The promise from The World Challenge Promise calendar that day was II Corinthians 2:14 which talks about God using us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Christ everywhere. Wow! What opportunities God had given me.
Then my In Touch devotional, titled, Wholly Available, based on Matthew 5:15-16, began with this paragraph: Ask yourself, What kind of light am I? Is your glow a little dull—a flicker others can see only if they’re really looking? Or do you brighten everything up when you walk into a room? As Christians, we should shine brilliantly, no matter where we are. Again, what wonderful opportunities God had given me, not only to be the aroma of the knowledge of Christ but to brighten up the medical facilities I walked into.
I continued reading paragraphs three and four of my Wholly Available devotional: You’re deeply loved by the Lord. And as a member of God’s family, you are indwelt by His Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). His light is the radiance within you. You have no idea what amazing things He can do—in the workplace, at school or with family, neighbors or friends [or at medical appointments!]—through your willingness to shine the light of His powerful love.
If you’ll get on your knees and pray, “Lord, I’m available. Do whatever You want with my life, and show me what you desire,” He’ll reveal the next step. God is willing and ready to move in the life of anyone who chooses to be available for Him.
My heart was overflowing as we got ready to go to medical appointment number four. I went with expectancy, wondering what God had planned. When we followed the nurse/tech person into the treatment room, I said, “Did you have a good holiday?”
The woman said, “Well, not really.” I could tell she was trying to decide whether to tell me more. Then she said tentatively, “Actually, it was the worst of the worst.”
I said, “I’m so sorry!”
That was all this grieving woman needed. Like someone had turned on a faucet, the words spilled out of her. “My Dad died. It was unexpected.”
Again I responded, I’m so sorry! My dad died on Christmas day in 1983. “
“My dad died on New Year’s Eve.”
I listened, asked questions and shared with her as she poured out her heart. “My father didn’t want any services so I feel like I didn’t have the usual opportunities to grieve. It’s been so hard.”
When she finished, I said, “We will pray for you. We’ll put your name in our prayer bowl that we keep beside our bed.”
She thanked me, told me her name and said, “My son has also been very sick and everything has just been so hard.”
There was no doubt in my mind that ministering to this woman was the real reason for us to be in that office. Actually, we spent a lot more time with her than we did with the PA!
Since the doctor’s office is close to where our grandson lives with his mother, we also went there to see if we might catch him at home. Both he and his girl friend were there, and I asked her the same question I had asked the woman at the doctor’s office. “Did you have a good holiday season?”
She said, “Well, my grandpa died.”
As we again listened and asked questions, we learned that her grandma had just died four or five months earlier. We talked with her and our grandson for some time, and felt so good about our time with them. If we hadn’t had the doctor appointment, which is 45 minutes from our house but relatively near our grandson’s house, we wouldn’t have made the visit.
After putting the name of the woman from the doctor’s office into our prayer bowl, I drew it out three nights in a row, even though I thoroughly mixed up the names every night before drawing. God knows how much she needs prayer.
God’s ways are so amazing and He can use us in so many ways even when it seems like the appointments are interfering with our schedule. I want to be even more aware that appointments are not interruptions but opportunities God gives us to be the sweet fragrance of Christ and to fill up a room with the light of Christ.
Lord Jesus, even when we are reluctant for the seeming interruptions to our schedule, use us to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever we go. Amen.
