So last week I was at the hospital getting some tests run and I met this lady. Now I’m not sure what your experiences are with hospital waiting rooms, but in my experience people just don’t talk to each other. I’ll say this is true most of the time – this theory was completely shot at my next trip to the hospital, but I’ve been in a lot of hospital waiting rooms and most of my experience has been of people not talking, so I still think my theory is valid.
We were both waiting for the same tests to be done, and as soon as I walked in and sat down, she started talking to me. We were sitting there drinking our drinks for our tests, and I’m pretty sure I now know her entire life story. It was more like sitting at a restaurant with someone rather than in a hospital.
This woman had been through a lot in her life. Several years back she had found out that she had breast cancer. She was in shock, she had never been sick in her life. When she went in to have her procedure she prayed and prayed and prayed and the doctors found nothing in one side. Half of it was gone! She knew that she just had to trust God with everything. Now she just prays before every procedure and gives it to God.
She asked me about me and I told her that they weren’t really sure what was wrong with me and they were doing some tests. I told her about school and how I was graduating. I told her about the World Race and she was so excited. She was from Korea and she asked if we were going to Asia on our Race. I told her we weren’t going to Korea, but that we were going to China, Malaysia, and Cambodia. She went on to tell me all about the Korean Church and how they meet 5 times a week over there. She said that she gets up at 5 every morning to pray, even though she lives here because that is how their church does it. She said that during her sickness, she got up every morning to pray to God, and that she still does.
All throughout our conversation, the thing she kept coming back to was that she trusted God to provide for her. She gave her problems to him, whatever they were. She had some pretty amazing faith. When she finished her test, she came back to get her things and gave me a hug. I don’t even know her name.
She gave all of her problems and cares to the Lord. I say that I give my problems to God, but oftentimes, I don’t actually do it. I still carry them myself. I think there has only been one time in my life that I have actually had something that I have truly given up to God. But he is there for us and he wants us to trust him completely. He wants for us to lean on him and give all of our cares and problems to him. It is hard to give up control, but sometimes it is even harder to stay in control.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
