As I sit patiently in a waiting room of a busy Toronto hospital this morning, I look around at the faces of others. So many people, so many different ailments and concerns. A lady rests her head on a backpack waiting for her husband’s tests to be over. She is tired. Her name is called. She jumps, startled and unsteady, and goes off to sit with him now that the procedure is done. A man is wheeled in by his daughter. He is pale, a blue mask covering his nose and mouth. He sits and patiently waits to be summoned to his procedure. He is aging. This is probably one of many trips he will make to the hospital in the coming years as he starts his natural decline. A young couple holding hands, her head covered with a kerchief concealing the newness of a balding head, perhaps the result of a chemo treatment, sit chatting about the daily news. Occasional laughs and chuckles quickly change into frowning glances of concern as she coughs uncontrollably and allows her husband to assist her with tissues and circular hand rubs on her back. These scenes are pretty familiar to most people who need to visit hospitals. They are real. They are difficult and if we had our way, we would probably prefer to be elsewhere. Anywhere but here. But this is life. We are vulnerable, imperfect, and prone to illness, be it physical, emotional or spiritual. Ash Wednesday reminds us of our limitations and fragility and this week also marks the World Day of the Sick. Where do we find the inbreaking of God at times like this? Sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we become angry about our situation. What causes the anger or the refusal to cooperate with God in these matters? Lack of CONTROL. It really annoys us that we cannot control what happens to us. Our best laid plans are often disrupted by an unexpected detour. Sometimes it is minor, sometimes not. How de we deal with the detours that mess up our straight path? Roadmaps (today more likely GPS) need to be updated. Things change. What is a detour now might become a brand new highway to somewhere you were not planning. Acceptance and serenity in times of disruption are two of the best companions one will ever have. But allowing God’s grace to introduce these friends to you is required first. Be open. Hand over your wounds, your illnesses, your trials, your stubborness. Do your part to “let go and let God”. No matter what the outcome, know that you are never alone.
Jim Dunn
Blesséd Blending
February 10, 2016