ER: a place where time stands still

"As people of Providence we reveal God's love for all, especially the poor and vulnerable, through our compassionate service."

I've only been to the emergency room for my family a few times, twice with Dave. The emergency room is not my favorite place to be. Since coming to Idaho, with Dave being a full time pastor now for over 5 years, I've been to the ER with him to visit our church family and it is a little easier in that I know more of what to expect. It is different when it is your own family though. One night last week I spent several hours with my husband in the Emergency Room in Seaside, Oregon. We were at Providence Hospital where the above quote is their mission statement. Dave and I were really impressed with the compassionate service that everyone in the ER had for him. The people at Providence treated Dave with respect and compassion. They found out what was wrong, gave him a plan of treatment and sent us on our way. Dave is still recovering. He should be well soon. The main things that I learned in our time in ER was the waiting, the trust and doing what you say. The waiting: It seemed like time stood still. I am sure Dave thought it did since he was in so much pain. I knew that they were full and we had to wait. Obviously everyone ahead of Dave must have been worse off than he was that is why we needed to wait. No need to get impatient. We simply needed to wait. I know in my own life I get impatient with God sometimes. I think that He just doesn't do what I think He should in the timing of my liking. This time in the ER reminded me again that I need to wait. I need to wait with patience. I need to remember that I don't know the whole story and I simply need to wait. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." (Isaiah 40:31) The trust: In the ER I had to trust the timing of the doctors and nurses. After all, they had just looked at Dave and saw him in his pain. I had to keep trusting that they wouldn't forget him there and that everyone else was just in worse condition or they would surely see Dave sooner. Again, in my personal walk with the Lord, I sometimes grow impatient because I forget to trust. This is foolish of me really. The creator of the universe is trustworthy! I don't have to understand everything, nor do I think that I ever really will. That's ok though. God has shown himself faithful in His recorded words in the Bible, in the lives of His followers throughout the ages and in my personal life as well. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8) Do what you say: The ER department of Providence Hospital in Seaside, OR did what their mission statement said. They had compassionate care. Do I do what I say? Is what I say noteworthy or honorable before God? What is my personal mission statement that I want to live out each day? The apostle James says that "faith, by itself, if not accompanied by actions, is dead." (James 2:17) This was probably the biggest challenge and something I thought about while waiting in ER and into this week. What do I say and what do I do? Do my actions reflect what I say? What is it that I'm saying anyway?