My Time or Hers?

It was 8:30 Friday morning and there I was. BACK at Partners in Pediactrics. The last time we were in that office was last week and that FIVE hour trip to the doctor ended with my baby in Baptist East hospital and our car in the shop after it had to be towed from the parking lot due to a bum battery. I was SUPER pumped about coming back (not so much). Harris and I were there for a 9 month check up this time; not ear infections or wheezing or yellow snot or any of the other repeat offenders we're used to. I walk to the desk, sign Harris in and make my way to the "Well" side. I quickly tried to find a seat that would give us the best view of Disney TV only to discover they had replaced Handy Manny and Mickey with some Dinosaur show on PBS or something. Not good. It was 8:30...AKA nap time AKA melt-down initiation. OK, fine. We settled in with some puffs and as many toys as I could drag out of my diaper bag-turned-magical Mary Poppins-bag. I thought, "It's 8:30! How long should we have to wait?" Famous last words...

Fast forward to 9:30. Still there, still listening to Dinosaurs and still no "Harris Murray for Dr. Brannan!" By this time, the other mamas in the waiting room were beginning to huff and puff. I hear the typical "good grief, how long does it take?" and "I don't think Dr. Brannan is even here!" Just as I began to feel some frustration myself I heard the call for Harris to come on back. I turned the corner only to discover it wasn't our sweet nurse we're used to but Dr. Brannan, herself. Strange but whatever, we were back. Dr. Brannan sent us to a room and told me our nurse would be there shortly. 

Now, you know how you have those moments when you KNOW that the Lord has you in a situation for a reason? You have those times when the Lord uses you to speak wisdom and love to someone. Well, Friday morning was my time. 

My nurse came in immediately apologizing for having us wait for so long. I felt this overwhelming urge to tell her it did not matter in the least to me that we waited and that Harris and I were having a good time watching Dinosaurs (not entirely true since we prefer Mickey but hey...) She continued to apologize explaining that the schedule was confused and she had called back the wrong patient and that she had been working in this field for 20+ years and took great pride in her work and..... I said, "I promise, its ok!" By this time I'm thinking "Gotcha. You're sorry. Now, can we please move on so I can get my 9 month old out of this office.." Just then I looked up at her and saw BIG tears rolling down her cheeks. I quickly asked her what was wrong and she proceeded to tell me:

Her 29 year old daughter had died 9 months ago from health problems related to her diabetes. When she passed away, her 10 year old son was left with his grandmother AKA our nurse. She was exhausted mentally and physically she explained. In that moment, I felt the weight of the world that poor woman was carrying. She was trying to stay positive for her grandson and make life somewhat normal but all the while mourning the loss of her daughter. Her baby, her child. I can't imagine.

We talked for a long time after that and Harris was content to eat puffs and listen. We talked about the goodness of God and how He delivers you in times of distress and trouble. We talked about when you hit a brick wall all you can do is pray and ask the Lord for peace and understanding. Now, when I say "we" I mean "she". You see, SHE was the one explaining all of these things to ME. She was the one enduring one of the hardest things any mother could possibly go through and she was the one ministering to me. Talk about putting things into perspective...she was a basket case and could still muster the strength to praise God. I have petty things happen everyday that I claim hinder my time with God and here she was praising Him in the biggest storm there is. 

Yes, He had me there for a reason...to listen to her and be there but it was HER time to speak wisdom and love.  I'm not sure who was blessed more by that conversation...