Life

At church this morning, I found out that Doug was in the hospital. I met Doug one of the first weeks I was up here. We found out that we both grew up in Houston, went to A&M for grad school, and then moved to DC for a job. Granted, he did so about 40 years before I did, but the point is that we have a lot in common and I've always enjoyed talking with him and hearing about his experiences. So I went with another lady in the church to visit him, especially b/c he doesn't have any family in the area.

When was the last time you were in a hospital? I can't remember the last time I was. Doug was doing well: smart and stubborn as ever. But I couldn't get over the emotions of being in that place. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would visit my grandpa in the hospital and nursing home. I never really knew what to say and there wasn't really anything I could do for him. Just being there, that's all I could do.

But that got me thinking. I'm a strong proponent of the phrase "Actions speak louder than words." Maybe that's why I don't always talk much; maybe that's why "service" always ranks up there in my "spiritual gifts inventory". And then there's the fact that I'm a Type-A personality and a workaholic. In any event, I get very uncomfortable when I'm in situations where I can't actively "do" something. But sometimes "being" is better than "doing". Being in a hospital is one of those situations. I'm not a doctor, I can't physically do anything to help anyone get better faster. But I can be there to listen to them and give a smile.

Life is not about the number of things we can accomplish, or the number of ministries we can get involved in. It's about the journey, the process of growing closer to Christ and closer to others. In this fast-paced world we live in, we need to make sure we don't get so busy and over-loaded that we miss out on simple opportunities to be there for others, and opportunities to "Be still and know that He is God". I say this b/c I often forget to do just that, and something like a trip to the hospital helps put life back in perspective.