Memory verse:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Once in a while, a story comes to you that touches you and inspires you and makes you want to be a better person. I heard a story like that last night.
A friend of mine has a relative at The James, the cancer hospital at OSU Medical Center. It is a very stressful time for her and her family. This past week she was sitting in the ICU waiting room...waiting and worrying and trying to rest. Her niece was tired of watching the news on the waiting room TV and got up to change the channel. She was met with yells, cursing and much hostility from a group of people also waiting in this room.
My friend's niece was already distraught, and now was angry and a little scared of this very rough, rude and disruptive group, and she left the room. My friend stayed in the room, but faced more angry words from the group, many of those words being the four letter kind. One woman looked at my friend and said, "This woman just lost her babies and you have the nerve to change the #$@! channel!!!" And then the woman she was talking about yelled something to the effect of "Yeah, I just lost my #$&! babies!"
When my friend heard that someone lost babies, she thought about praying for this woman, but the awful four letter word she used to describe her babies offended her and she told them so. The group angrily moved away to another corner of the room.
Then, in the words of my friend, "The Lord started working on me." As she sat there, she heard the Lord telling her to go pray with that woman. She obviously did NOT want to do that and argued with God in her head. Her main problem with the woman was the terrible words she used. My friend heard God tell her...they are just words to her...Go.
My friend grudgingly obeyed...she approached the group and of course was greeted with more hostility. But she apologized to them and asked if she could pray with the woman. After some cajoling, they agreed. My friend prayed for the woman, for her babies, for her husband who was in the ICU, and for their future. The woman began crying and the whole group was moved. My friend said that the whole waiting room was filled with a peace that wasn't there before.A large angry man who had yelled and cursed at her just a few minutes ago, apologized to her and thanked her.
Who knows if that simple prayer made a difference in the long run in the lives of the people involved...but God knows. My friend did a kind thing for hurting people. Maybe it made a bigger difference than we know.
This story touched me so much. I sat in an ICU waiting room several months ago and there was another family in there most of the week as well. They were also rude, crude and socially unacceptable. What my friend did took guts! But the most important thing...she OBEYED when she heard God telling her to move and do something. How many times do we argue and fight and end up ignoring that still small voice when we hear it?
The bottom line is, no matter what words we use, good supportive words, or angry 4 letter words...we are all God's creations and he loves us. We have no idea what hurts have happened in the lives of others...instead of judging others, let's think of others as brothers and sisters and treat everyone with the kindness we think we deserve. God uses our struggles and stressful times in mysterious ways...my friend found that out in a scary hospital waiting room. What people in need will God put in your path today? Will you listen and obey if God tells you to do move? I pray that you will! We can make the world a better place...one person at a time.
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