This week has proven to be quite eventful. I’ll be honest, my alone time has been lacking. Allow me to explain.
Working in healthcare, you’d think nothing would surprise me. Not even the moments where you’d think it’s common sense. But I’ve been fascinated, and unfortunately also experienced, this week on how crucial it is for the human body to have appropriate amounts of water, in order to function well. After many calls to my doctor’s office, and of few days of simply being sick, I receive the call, “You need to go to the emergency room. We think you’re very dehydrated”. Cue the text to my mom, “I’m okay. I’m in the ER. But I’m okay.”
Much earlier that morning, I found myself silently praying for relief, healing, anything that would distract me from my misery. As I sat in the waiting room, somewhat enviously looking at a woman who already was receiving IV fluids, I started thinking, “there will be more times to come next year, when my body will not feel so good, and I’ll be dry, but I won’t have the convenience of a 10 minute drive to receive IV fluids. What am I going to do?”
And then I started to to think about spiritual dryness. And how, especially in any mission field, we develop that spiritual thirst. Whether it’s due to weariness, or due to a desire for more of Him, it’s there. Thirst. Dryness. Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary, and I will give you rest“. (NIV)
I think of John 4, when Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well. We may have a physical thirst. But we also have a spiritual thirst. The Lord can quench both.
“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.“ John 4: 13-14 (ESV)
We think of and hope for incredible jaw dropping miracles from God. And I am all for them. But I also would like to acknowledge the miracles of gifts God has provided via medicine. I’m thankful for the knowledge and tools he gives, and uses others (doctors,nurses, teachers, social workers, just to name a few). I would’ve loved to not make a visit to the ER, and instead shared I had received complete instant healing. But He did provide for me, nurses and doctors who were willing to listen. They were willing to identify what needed to go down. Also, I was humbled bye this experience. It’s not everyday I find myself on the other side of the stethoscope.
To sum this up. I’m thankful for the Lord’s touch. Physically and spiritually. Directly from Him, or through others (like roomies who drive you to the ER). And I like IV fluids. 🙂
Angela, one of my roommates, who drove me to the ER. She looked a bit better than myself…hence the pic of her. 🙂
