Operation
Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They shall
mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall
walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
A
man is going in for an operation. The nurses start IVs and clean the incision
site. The transport aides move the man onto the gurney and begin rolling him
down the hall. His wife follows, holding his hand. They reach a pair of
swinging doors and she kisses him and goes to the waiting room. Inside the
operating room, the doctors and nurses perform a well-rehearsed symphony in the
sterile environment. They move together with few words needed, each one doing
his or her part to complete the operation efficiently and safely. In the
waiting room, the wife prays and waits. She fidgets and paces. She drinks
coffee and chews her nails. Finally she gets up and when someone runs out of
the operating suite she pushes her way in. She comes up behind the doctor doing
the surgery and says, “Do you need some help? I think the incision is too big.
Are you sure those stiches are going to hold? They look a little long. You
know, while you’re in there can you do some liposuction? Why are you taking so
long?”
What
would you do if you were the doctor? You had gone to school for years. You had
practiced your skills. Here was a woman coming into your sterile, safe
environment, bringing germs, advice and demands. We would never do that, would
we? Unless it is to God. Do you have a loved one that God is working on?
Perhaps it is a stubborn teen or a family member or friend opening a heart to
God. How hard is it to sit in the waiting room and let God do His job? God
informed me that my job while He was working on my loved ones is to pray, sing
praises and love them. I would much rather tell God how He should hurry and
suggest things He could fix while He is at it.
I
love and hate the verse in Isaiah that says, “Those who wait upon the Lord will
renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run
and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) I love it
because it reminds me that God is faithful. I hate it because it is so hard to wait. I am a good West Texas girl and was taught to
pull myself up by my own bootstraps, even if I don’t have any boots. I have to
rely not only on God, but on friends who bear each other’s burdens. The waiting
room is a hard place to be. If that is
where you are, take courage. The Great Physician has your loved one in His mighty
hands. If you are not there now, you probably have been and can bear someone’s
burden.
