Tender Blessings – Part II
Psalm 103:13, “A father is tender and kind to his children. In the same way, the Lord is tender and kind to those who have respect for him.” (NIRV)
I’m back!! Sorry, it took so long for me to finish my story. Let’s just say having both of your eyes operated on can jam up your schedule or your ability to see and write. But, I am back, and I cannot wait to share with you the second part of this story.
I ended part one with me being at the hospital, getting a COVID test. Well, I was sitting in seat B as I was instructed to do. Within a few minutes, a nurse approached me and asked me if my name could possibly be something different like, “X.” Ohhhhhh, yes! I realized I was getting my test done at the very same hospital I had surgery 21 years ago, and their records matched my social security number to my former name. “Yup, that’s me. Can you update it, by any chance?” NOPE! The nurse was very friendly and gave me a phone number to call to update my records. I thanked her. Then another nurse walked up to me. He shoved this long q-tip up my nose so far, I swear, he took a culture of my brain. But two tissues and five seconds later, it was over. My testing was done, and off I went, a very thankful woman.
The next day my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number, but I decided to answer it. On the other end of the phone was a nurse from the hospital where I had my COVID test. She asked if I was not feeling well. PANIC! I quickly replied, “I’m totally fine. Why?” She immediately asked, “Were you around someone who has tested positive for COVID?” Now I was getting upset. “NO! Again, why are you asking? Is there a problem with my results?” My anxiety went through the roof, for if I did test positive, my surgery would be postponed, and I did not have margin in my schedule to have this pushed back.
Finally, the woman on the other end of the phone asked me why I had a COVID test. I explained it was for my upcoming surgery on Tuesday. She promptly apologized. My test had been wrongly coded and grouped with potential virus carriers. She said my test went to the wrong area, but hey, good news, I did not have COVID. Once I picked up my heart from the floor, I remembered about my name being incorrect. I asked her if she would be able to correct it. She said, “No, you have to do this in person.” WHAT!?!?!? I have been through enough medical procedures to know that with those test results having the wrong name on them, they will never make it to my doctor’s office. I had less than two days to get these results to my doctor, and it was the weekend. DEEP BREATH!
When am I going to start to embrace Romans 8:28? ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. Nope, instead, I jumped into a pleading mode and explained my situation. This very kind woman created an online account for me and sent me the link to login and get my results in a written format. I was able to print them, scan them, and email them to my doctor’s office, so they had them first thing Monday morning. I was all set for my 9 am check-in Tuesday morning. If my COVID test had not been erroneously coded, the nurse would not have called; the test results would have gone directly to my doctor’s office with the wrong name. It is more likely than not; I would have been denied my surgery for Tuesday.
I am a bit anal when it comes to putting a plan in place and then sticking to the plan. I needed to drive to my dad’s house in New Jersey on Monday. Tuesday morning, he would bring me back to Philadelphia for my surgery and return to his home for my recovery period. I had some issues with both my sink and dishwasher. The only time the plumber could come was on Monday, late morning. I thought, OK, no problem. I can be on the road by 2 pm and avoid rush hour.
The plumber was supposed to arrive at 11:00 am. It did not happen. Time kept passing by, 12, 1, then 2 pm the doorbell rang. UGH! My schedule was hijacked!! I do not do well with hijacked plans, especially when they have to do with traveling. There is something about preparing for a trip; it just unhinges me. I was frustrated. But the plumber was very friendly and did all he could to fix my problem and off he went.
I ran upstairs to grab my last minute items. It was then at 2:45 pm my phone rang. It was the local pharmacy telling me my prescriptions were ready. I had no idea what they were talking about; I was not waiting for any prescriptions. Oh, but yes, I was. Here, my surgeon called in all the medications I would need post-surgery; my PAIN medications. Do you see what God did here?
He knew I needed these medications, but I would have been halfway to my dad’s before this call would even come in. He used the late plumber to stall me so that I could have all my medications in hand before the day of my surgery. How caring, compassionate, and tender HE IS!
Tuesday morning came, and my dad drove me to the hospital. Thankfully, they were allowing patients to bring a “support” person with them. My dad parked the car and then sat with me until they called me back. Five hours later, I reappeared, and there was my dad waiting to take me home.
Everything went smoothly. Not a glitch, because of the obstacles. There was a reason for those obstacles. I did not see the bigger picture in the process. Only God sees that. But in His kindness, He allowed things to occur actually to smooth out the bumps. In His tenderness, He made the way smooth.
Friend, many times in our lives, we face large bumps and obstacles on our path. My situation was minor compared to so many others’ journeys. But what I know to be true is that in the small or unfathomable, God makes a way for us to move forward. Some times we do not get to see the “why” of the obstacle as I did. There are times when the barrier feels so large, and the burden we carry is so massive that there is no way to go over it, around it, through it, or even under it. We cannot. Not on our own. But we can through God. As James 4:8 tells us, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” As we direct our hearts and minds in trusting His path for us, we will experience His tenderness and kindness. He will make a way. Praying that as you face your obstacles, you will feel His tenderness, kindness, and unfailing love.