I Wouldn't Think About It If I Were You.

A few years ago I was giving birth to a kidney stone.  If you don't know, it is one of the most excruciating forms of pain any human can withstand.  A urologist told me once, "Take a golf ball, put it in a common water hose and try to blow it out."  Pretty accurate.

Well, I went to the hospital in hopes of finding some kind of relief.  The doctor comes in, checks me out and orders some tests.  I asked, "While we are waiting for the tests, could you give me something for the pain?"  "No," was his answer, "We have to confirm that you have a kidney stone before we can give you any pain meds.  If I were you, I wouldn't think about it, it only makes the pain worse."  Then "poof" he was gone, and I was left thinking about it - A LOT!

But he was right.  If I thought about it, it got worse.  But if I had someone to talk to and joke with while waiting for my test, it seemed to make the pain more manageable.  A nurse came in and said, "We're going to run the test, I'll hurry those results up, and we're going to get you those pain meds."

Now I am in a really cooperative mood now.  Let's go!  We enter the room where the test is to be conducted, and I notice that there is a large number of people for this test present.  Someone has decided to use me as their ginny pig to teach new nursing students.  Everyone is going to get a shot at finding that kidney stone.  AHHHHHH!

Find it they did.  Over and over.  The test was done, and they confirmed what I knew.  There's a rock the size of a small mountain stuck in my plumbing.  With that, I was wheeled back to my spot in the ER.

The doctor shows up and says, "Well, I don't have your test results yet."  Maybe it was the look on my face or the tone of my voice, but I said, "Listen, there is a herd of nurses somewhere around here who have all taken a very good look at it.  A few even celebrated when they shouted, 'There it is!  There it is!  I found the stone!'  Go ask one of them!"  He chuckles at me and says, "That's good enough."  With that, a nurse dances, literally dances, into my assigned area with syringes in hand.  YES!

Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride.

I could have become impatient, lost my temper, acted ugly and made a scene.  I could have just got up and left.  I could have complained about every detail of my experience.  What would that have got me?  Nothing.  

I needed to have patience.  But it wasn't patience with the process.  (Even though we do need to practice patience with the processes of faith that God is doing in our lives.)  But we need to exercise faith with the people that God has placed into our lives to help us.  You can think about the pain, and that will only make it worse.  Fear will make it bigger than what it really is.  But being patient with the people God has placed in your life will help you out of the pain you are experiencing in your heart, soul, and spirit today. 

PRAY:  Dear Jesus, help me to be patient with other people today.  AMEN