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?

Without arguing?

My verse for my Bible class to memorize last week was, "Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may be blameless and pure children of God without fault in this crooked and depraved generation so that you may shine like stars in the universe." Philippians 2:14-15

I thought it was a great two verses to learn since we had been talking about dress code at school and I had read about it in a daily devotional that is emailed to me....

You know it wasn't hard to learn, but it is hard to live out.

You know the without arguing point struck me first....I didn't realize that I wanted to argue so much until this verse kept floating in my thoughts.

And the without complaining....I complain way more than I thought I did.

I was struggling a few weeks ago with the concept of holiness...how do I live my life to follow after the Creator God, the One Who Provides, my Savior? How do I do this? I know that I should obey and these verses hit me right where I live in my everyday day in day out kind of life. They hit me at work, how I interact with people at the store, when I'm driving, at church, my list goes on and on....

But it is a matter of obedience. And it comes with hope....that I can be blameless and pure...without fault. And it comes with relationship...I'm a child of God...I should live this way! And it comes with a promise...that I will shine!

I really want to do EVERYTHING without arguing and complaining. It is an internal battle of my thought life. It deals with how I truly perceive my circumstances and it really deals with just how much I trust God.

I want to argue and complain less and love others and trust God more. Thinking on these verses and applying them will strengthen me in this regard.

TRUST...

....is not a matter of me or my faith, it's a matter of what or who I trust in.

On a coin it says, "In God We Trust."

King David put it this way, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

Psalm 20:6-8 (New International Version)

The Miriam-Webster dictionary has this, "1trust
Pronunciation: \ˈtrəst\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true
Date: 13th century
1 a: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed2 a: dependence on something future or contingent : hope b: reliance on future payment for property (as merchandise) delivered : credit 3 a: a property interest held by one person for the benefit of another b: a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement ; especially : one that reduces or threatens to reduce competition4archaic : trustworthiness5 a (1): a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship (2): something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another b: responsible charge or office c: care, custody — in trust : in the care or possession of a trustee"

I'm talking about #1. assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.

1way2God.net states God's character as, "God is independent, unchangeable, eternal and omnipresent. He exists as a spiritual being, having no form or dimensions, and is omniscient (all-knowing), wise, truthful, faithful, good, loving, merciful, graceful, patient, holy, at peace, righteous and just, jealous for His own honour, wrathful towards sin, perfect in every way, beautiful beyond comprehension, and is glorified through the revelation of Himself."

John says in 1 John that God is love. God is love and He loves me (John 3:16 "For God so loved the world (that's me!) that He gave His only begotten Son (that's Jesus) that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal life (that's why Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave)". Powerful stuff for me that's for sure!

Since God is love and He loves me I can trust in Him. He is completely trustworthy.

Now I know that it is easy to trust when all is well. Might I also suggest that it is easy to trust when all is not well when you have history, when you know the character of the one in whom you trust.

All this to say....my transmission is blown. It will not work any longer. UGH! My God is able to do more than I could ever imagine. My God loves me more than I will ever really know. My God is trustworthy even when my transmission blows (not just in the car, but blows a huge hole in my budget).

Some trust in chariots (like a certain Honda Pilot) and some in horses, but I will trust in the name of the Lord!