So I had a doctors appointment this morning for a six month check up to monitor my Gout. Yes, I have that. It wasn't by choice. I inherited it. So, I take a pill daily to keep my uric acid level low, so that it won't destroy my joints.
My appointment was scheduled at 8:40am. The appointment usually takes about 10-15 minutes, or at least it has in the past. This morning when I check in, I find out that my doctor has changed to another doctor. I'm not really happy about that because I liked my doctor, who was very proficient in seeing my on time and getting me in and out pretty quickly. So, I'm waiting in the "waiting room" and sure enough, I wait and I wait and I wait. I wait until 9:20am when my name is finally called. I go back and get my weight checked, shown to another room, have my blood pressure checked by a nurse, asked a few questions and told the doctor will be right in. So, I wait and I wait and I wait some more until about 9:45am when the doctor finally arrives.
Now let me tell you about my sinful, selfish, thought process for the past hour. "Great, they changed my doctor. I am probably going to have to wait forever, just for him to tell me, things look great. Go get this blood sample and here are your prescriptions. I bet he's going to tell me I have to come and see him 4 times per year instead of twice per year. That's going to cost me. I bet he won't allow me to get my prescription filled without coming in to see him EVERY 4 months! What the heck is taking SO long?? Every time a nurse comes out to the waiting room SOMEONE ELSE get's called back. I had an 8:40am appt! Why even schedule it at 8:40am if they are going to call you back until 9:20?!?!? I don' have time for this! I have work to do! I have a BLOG to write!!This is wasting my time! How disrespectful! If this was a business ALL of the customers would be walking out! Sure, take me back to a room and let me wait for another 25 minutes!!!! I don't get it! Look at the degrees on the wall. He must have served in the military. Great! I wonder if he even knows what he is doing? I see references to God on the wall. He's probably a "health and wealth" gospel guy!"
Here is a picture of my friendly waiting room face. I took this selfie and texted it to my wife to give her a laugh and it did.
Yes, those were my thoughts. Pretty sad thoughts from a "loving and caring" pastor.
So the doctor finally walks in. He was very polite. He apologized for the wait. He introduced himself. He began to ask me the normal questions. Then he asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was an Executive Pastor at a church in Bixby. He smiled and thought that was great. He asked me how I was feeling and I told him that I was feeling great, my health was great and I felt really blessed by that because there are so many people out in that waiting room that are really hurting.(So get me out of here, so I can get back to work, is what I was thinking)
He went on to ask more health related questions and then he said, "I have a couple of patients who use the word "blessed" like you did. If you don't mind I have a couple of stories to tell you. Do you mind? He was genuinely excited to share his personal stories. I said "No" go ahead. He told me that he had a really good friend that he served with in the military, who most recently found out he had stage 4 brain cancer. He longed to see this friend to catch up with him, but since he has a family of 5 and his friend lived far away there just was never a good time to get to see him. Then the doctor told me that he had taken his family on a cruise vacation and when they were docked in Barcelona, he ran into his friend that he hadn't seen in years, on the boat, docked in Barcelona! He was able to reunite with him. He said, I just really felt God had blessed me with that opportunity to get to see him, and to catch up with him, especially after learning about his health.
The other story, was about his family. He was really having a stressful time with his two year old son. They have 5 children ranging in ages from 16 down to the age of 2. It was one of those days. He said I just prayed that God would help me through this stressful day. He said he placed some butter into the microwave and then he showed me this picture. He said this is what came out.
He said it brought a smile to his face that changed his attitude the rest of the day. I asked him if he would to text me that picture and he did. He then went on to ask how often I would like to get my prescriptions refilled. Is every 90 days OK? I said YES! that would be great. He said, you look to be in great shape. Do you think it would be OK to set our next appointment for 1 year, unless you need to see me earlier, that is fine too? I said next year would be GREAT!
I felt horrible inside for all of those things that I had been thinking and feeling. Here was a doctor who served 9 years in the military, was an obvious Christian, it showed in the pictures on the wall, in his caring voice, in his boldness to share some stories about, regardless of what you think, are a couple of special moments that he "sees" God in his life, and I'm not going there if you don't, I'm not making a judgement either way, I am just telling you the story as it happened. I'm just glad he's my new doctor. I could tell he cared about my health, but he also cared about whether to take my money 4 times of year, when he knows, I don't need to be in there 4 times of year. And he cared enough to walk to change our conversation and share his God stories with me. When I left, I thanked him for his service in our military
So, where were my fruits of the spirit this morning?
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galations 5:22-23
Thank God, I can ask for forgiveness for my lack of patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Thank you, Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins today. Please forgive me for my lack of patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Help me to learn from this experience today, so I can handle myself more like you, next time. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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