Be
Patient
Twice
during the month of January, I was admitted to the hospital. The first time was
after a visit to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with pneumonia and confined
to a hospital ward for three nights. Two weeks later after another visit to the
ER, I was admitted for a weekend with rhino influenza. None of this was on my
monthly calendar.
Those
who know me readily admit that patience is not my strong suit. I have a hard
time standing in line at the grocery check out; at traffic lights; check in
lines at the airport and any other obstacles that slow me down from my assigned
tasks. I confess it is a life long compulsive disorder that I continue to
wrestle with but often without success.
Hospital
regimen does not cater to impatience. I was not allowed to go to the bathroom
without an attendant. If I tried to get out of bed without a nurse, an alarm
went off. I was attached to either an IV or oxygen by a short tether; like a
yard dog on a short leash. My only option: did I want coffee or tea with my
meals? Why am I so impatient? I am sick. I need care. I am in the right place
for all the above. Relax!
As
I lay there pondering and dozing, a verse from a children’s song came drifting
through my mind. It was one we taught our kids: Patience: Herbert the Snail from
the CD Music Machine – The Fruit of the Spirit by Frank Hernandez. The chorus
goes like this:
“Have
patience, have patience. Don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient, you
only start to worry. Remember, remember that God is patient, too. And think of
all the times when others have to wait for you.”
My
convalescence was not only for physical maladies but emotional and spiritual
ones as well. Thanks to the doctors, nurses, technicians and attendants who
ministered health and modeled patience to me.
On
the road again to health and patience.
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