Six Weeks

Nobody appreciates wellness until they've walked an ill mile.

My six week post-op appointment was this afternoon. I sighed with the thought of another exam. You would think that after having three babies, two major surgeries and kidney stones three different times, that this would be a piece of cake.

It was an appointment to remember. Aside from checking things over, my doctor sent me away with a clean bill of health. There will be no more hormone injections for the time being, surgeries are kept at bay and I won't have to see my doctor until next year. Wow! It felt like I was given a get out of jail free card.

As I drove away from the medical building and past the hospital, I felt so grateful to God for carrying me through yet another storm. I peeked at the window of my third floor hospital room, and wondered who resided. Was it a child? A grown-up? Were they ill or just out of surgery? Can they feel God's presence? He IS there.

Pulling out of the driveway, I spotted a man smoking a cigarette outside of the hospital's entrance. He was dressed in one of those wonderful gowns. An IV stood by. Our eyes met, and in that moment I realized exactly what I had been delivered from.

I will never be able to say it enough. Health is a gift. Every single breath, every bite of food that digests, every rested night - it is all a precious gift. I prayed for that man as I drove away into freedom this afternoon, wondering what ailed his broken body.

I couldn't help but wonder what treasure awaited that man, and every patient in that hospital. It takes a trained eye to see the sparkle.

Lord, help them find you.

Timing

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

I've decided to start sprinkling quotes into my posts. Aspiring to really take this writing thing seriously, I picked up a book called "Worth Repeating" months ago. It is filled with more than 5,000 classic and contemporary quotes. I am always up for a literary challenge. This should be a good one.

The quote above was sent to me in a letter some months ago. The sentence must have grabbed me, because it rests neatly typed on my bulletin board. It is a great reminder that when God says to move, it's time to start stepping.

God has taken me to may crossroads where I have had a decision to make. Will I do what feels good, what seems right or what other people are expecting ? Or will I do the right thing? Ever been there? If you've spent any length of time following Jesus, you know that what He requires anything but predictable. You can forget any kind of a plan, and if you are hoping for a safety net, you might as well turn back. There are no guarantees, there is no safety net - except, of course, the promises in His Word. I can assure you, they are more than enough.

Why do you think it is so important for Christians to do the right thing? Is it because we will be damned to hell for the slightest mistake? We know that God offers forgiveness that is immediate and complete for times when we blow it. All we have to do is ask. Is it because we are supposed to try and appear perfect to the world? We know that perfection is impossible, not to mention the fact that nobody can really relate to a person who seems to "have it all together."

So what is the reason for integrity? I think that there are many reasons, but only one draws us closer to Him. God will ask us to do the right thing at a seemingly wrong time for one simple reason -- to test us. Do we really believe that we have heard from God? Will we obey the voice, or simply shrug it off? Is it worth the cost? (There is always a cost - and when God calls, more times than not the cost is your life.)

So where do you find yourself in the "Do the Right Thing" spectrum? Is there something you have been putting off for the sake of waiting for the perfect time? Spend some time in prayer and see if God would have you put if off. Discernment is important when you are dealing with relationships and circumstances. Timing can be crucial. But if you've been sitting on your hands, avoiding the situation altogether, the time is now. Take a stand.

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. Don't wait. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 16:9) God's love is poured out through ordinary men and women who will listen to His voice, and do what's right.

(By the way, my "right thing" has to do with the picture I've posted today. I'll leave you with that hint.)