My class load was heavy, I was stressed, and going through a bout of depression. On top of all that I came down with the flu. I was feeling sorry for myself, and at a point didn’t care if I lived or died. There was a large clinic on campus so I called to see if I could get an appointment. I was told that they were booked for the day, but that if I could come in late in the afternoon they would work me in. I would be the doctor’s last patient.
I arrived at the office at 4:30 that afternoon and was escorted to one of the examining rooms. The nurse told me that the doctor had two more patients to see, and then he would end his day by checking on me. Keep in mind that I was very sick. I could barely sit in the chair and hold my head up. I don’t know how long I had been waiting, but apparently it had been a while—a long while. I guess my feverish condition had taken me to La La Land where all sense of time had disappeared. Then there was that moment when I returned to reality, and I realized that the place had become very quiet. I noticed when I looked out the window that it was dark outside. I got up and opened the door. There was no one in sight. I yelled, “Is anybody here?” No one answered. I walked down the hall and yelled again. Still no answer. It was then that I knew everybody had left for the day, leaving me alone in the clinic.
Ordinarily I would have been mad enough to bite a nail in two. But I was too sick to react in any manner. I think my concern at the time was, am I going to be able to get out of the building? The front door did open and I left. A guy who is depressed, feeling down about himself, and wondering if anyone cares did not need to be left sick and forgotten in a doctors office. But somehow as I drove home I began to smile thinking how incredibly funny that whole situation was. ‘Those kinds of things only happen to me’, I thought. “Just my luck”, I whispered.
Yesterday a friend told me about getting on a a ride that spun around and around.. He was the only one riding. For some reason the not so reliable operator left leaving the ride spinning at full speed. I don’t remember how long my friend was on the ride before someone came to his rescue, but it was a long time. When the ride finally stopped he had to be helped to a bench where he sat for quite a while before he could even stand up. I think that may be worse than being forsaken in a doctor’s office.
The next day after being left alone at the clinic I actually felt better. I didn’t think I received any medical attention, but I did call to make sure I was not charged a fee for my disastrous visit. We all know how those doctors are! No charge of course, but I did get an apology. Even to this day I am a bit leery when I am waiting in one of those little rooms. and the door is closed. Now I never accept an appointment later than three in the afternoon.
Such is life when we think that everything is spinning out of control. We feel forgotten, unappreciated, wondering if anybody cares. We probably are overthinking our state of dispair. But the good news is that we have a Savior who is with us in all the spinning and confusion. We have one who will comfort us when we are left alone in our weakness. No need to bite the nail in anger. There is One whose hands were nail pierced, and he died on a cross for each of us. Better to cling to that cross praising Him for never leaving us or forsaking us.
No comments:
Post a Comment