On and on this dear younger, professional woman went...I am old enough to be her mother...and she just poured out her heart to me as if I were her counselor or doctor. instead of the other way around...and I let her continue...the time just flew by...the rest of the office was outside our door...waiting for the doctor to move on to the next patient...and I imagine they thought I was in there taking up her time and pouring my heart out to her...little did they know that this Doctor needed a doctor...and was literally crying on my shoulder...
I hugged her and told her I loved her and that Jesus loves her...she is a "born-again believer", by her own testimony to me...and she prays to the Lord and asks Him to help her...and to find someone to help her in her medical practice so she can take some time off and get away by herself and/or with her own husband and children. I shared what few words of wisdom I could come up with while sitting there praying the Lord would help me to help her. Truly, the best help that I could be was to let her talk and for me to listen.
She said she wished she had a "girlfriend" to go to lunch with and just be silly and have a friend who wanted to be with her just for her, and not for what she could do for her. I felt guilty that I was about to actually go meet a friend for lunch, who was literally waiting for me at that moment in a restaurant, wondering why I was so late...No, I didn't tell the Doctor that, and I wanted to invite her to come along...but there was that full waiting room waiting for her...and her nurses and office staff outside the door wondering what was taking so long...
As she finally left my cubicle to move on, she hugged me again, as I assured her I would be praying for her...and praying that the Lord would send the help that she needed very soon.
I left that office feeling burdened for my doctor "friend". Made me wish I had the expertise and training to go in there and take over for her so she could take some time off and get away...but that's pretty crazy. However, I do know Someone Who knows exactly how to take care of her every need, and so tonight I lift up Doctor_____ to the Lord. Jesus already knows about this...and I'll bet help is already on the way.
On the way home from this appointment I was listening to the JoyFm Radio , which is something I've really missed since I retired and don't get to listen to the radio in the car very often anymore...anyway, they played this song, "With Every Act of Love" by Jason Gray, and the part that really stood out to me was the section in the middle that I've highlighted below in the lyrics....
Sitting at the stoplight
He can't be bothered by the heart cry
Written on the cardboard in her hands
Oh, but when she looks him in the eye
His heart is broken, open wide
And he feels the hand of God reach out through him
As heaven touches earth
He can't be bothered by the heart cry
Written on the cardboard in her hands
Oh, but when she looks him in the eye
His heart is broken, open wide
And he feels the hand of God reach out through him
As heaven touches earth
We bring the kingdom come
(Oh oh oh-oh oh oh oh)
With every act of love
Jesus, help us carry You
Alive in us, Your light shines through
With every act of love
We bring the kingdom come
(Oh oh oh-oh oh oh oh)
With every act of love
Jesus, help us carry You
Alive in us, Your light shines through
With every act of love
We bring the kingdom come
There's silence at the table
He wants to talk but he's not able
For all the shame that's locked him deep inside
Oh, but her words are the medicine
When she says they can begin again
And forgiveness will set him free tonight
As heaven touches earth
He wants to talk but he's not able
For all the shame that's locked him deep inside
Oh, but her words are the medicine
When she says they can begin again
And forgiveness will set him free tonight
As heaven touches earth
We bring the kingdom come
(Oh oh oh-oh oh oh oh)
With every act of love
Jesus, help us carry You
Alive in us, Your light shines through
With every act of love
We bring the kingdom come
(Oh oh oh-oh oh oh oh)
With every act of love
Jesus, help us carry You
Alive in us, Your light shines through
With every act of love
We bring the kingdom come
And, as I was driving and praying for my doctor friend, these words from this song really struck me...I thought the appointment today was going to be about me and my issues... (which were minor, by the way), but God had something else in mind altogether...
God put a million, million doors in the world
For His love to walk through
One of those doors is you
I said, God put a million, million doors in the world
For His love to walk through
One of those doors is you.
Did you hear that? This applies to YOU as well, my friend! I didn't share this story today for any "glory" for me, because this was something totally out of the blue, with no planning or forethought on my part at all...it was one of those "God appointments"...and why God chose me to be the one this dear woman decided to unburden herself upon I don't know...but I pray that it helped her in some way. It was totally a "God-thing"...nothing to do with me at all. I was just one of those
"million, million doors in the world for His love to walk through..."
"One of doors is you."
ReplyDeleteTook my breath away!
And "one of those doors is YOU!"...what we do here is one of those open doors for God's love to walk through...this is important business out here in blogland as well as in our "real world".... Thank you for being one of those "doors".
DeleteYup. We all are counselors at one time or another and it plays up the need to keep our character and morality strong so that we can be ready to give an answer and necessary help or refer to someone who can.
ReplyDeleteWe go through life to learn how to be better people and how to deal better with our human family.
We need each other so much.
Oh yes, we certainly do, Annie. We never know just who may be watching and waiting for a glimpse of God's love through our open door. May we always be ready to answer that call when it comes...even when we were not expecting it at all!
DeleteYOU were a door for her, Pamela, she needed your act of love, listening, everyone needs it from time to time. YOU were a door for her. God will bless you as you defiantly blessed her with your ACT of Love. I love that song and JoyFM. I listen to it on the Atlanta station.
ReplyDeleteBe blessed today dear friend.
Thank you, Sylvia. It certainly caught me off guard, but thankfully God was in control of the situation and gave me peace of mind to just let her talk. God already blessed me in this because I felt humbled and honored to be that vessel He chose for that moment in time. May we always be ready...
DeletePam, thank you so much for sharing this beautiful happening of your day. It touched my heart greatly to see how Jesus was seen through you...it is the reason the doctor could so freely share with you her heartaches. I had a similar experience with a Nurse Practioner a few years ago and it is so important that we remember that He was the One who arranged that divine appointment. Any one who knows you, Pam, would know you did not share this for your own glory. I've "known" you for a number of years now and the way you live is to glorify God. He knew who would be a prayer warrior for this dear young woman. Thank you for sharing this with us and reminding us to be open to whatever the Lord has designed for our days. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you for this affirmation today, Dianna. Do you ever wonder if Jesus puts a sign on us that is invisible to us, but somehow lights up in neon for whoever needs to be touched by the Lord at that moment...perhaps their "spirit" leaps at our "spirit", kind of like when John the Baptist leaped in his mother's womb when Mary, the mother of Jesus (in utero at the time) came into the room...maybe it is something similar to that...a connection of the Holy Spirit that we can't see, but the Spirit sees...something like that? Could it be? I'm thinking it must be...
DeleteWow. Pam I am sure that your open heart and listening ear were very encouraging to her right there in her office. She could see that you are a kind and loving person whom she could trust with her heart.
ReplyDeleteThank you Susie. I think it was a meeting of the Holy Spirit within us...a connection that we can't see with the human eye, but God is directing our inner Holy Spirit to connect. Does that make sense at all? Not trying to be weird here or metaphysical...this is a God connection...totally beyond our ability to orchestrate...What do you think?
DeleteSo incredibly powerful, Pamela! Yes, we all have the potential to be doors to God's love, and you showed that incredibly with this doctor in need. I agree, too, that this was absolutely orchestrated by the Lord - you were exactly what this woman needed. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha, for understanding this and getting that "connection" orchestrated by the Lord...It's a beautiful thing that we can't really explain, and it seems to be happening in a dimension that we can't see...but we see the results/effects of that Holy Spirit connection within us. Something to think about...
DeleteWow, you was there, brought by our Lord, on that moment that He would use you to give one of His other sheeps a bit comfort.
ReplyDeleteIsn't our God an awesome God? He reigns and rules and directs our steps beyond our understanding...I do stand in awe of Him and how He works when we are just being ourselves going through the motions of life...
DeletePam: Try and find a copy of "Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragement" by Florence Littauer. You were a gift to that doctor yesterday. God wanted you there at that time for that reason. I will be praying for her and for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cecelia. I must look that up. I've never read it, but it sounds intriguing and perhaps exactly what I'm trying to grasp and explain here...Thank you for the prayers. That is what is needed here for her and for any future communications...
DeleteYou are right, Pam. She needed to talk and she needed someone to listen. God puts us where he needs us to be. I believe that! This is a lovely post and testimony!
ReplyDeletePam, I'm so glad you were available for your doctor; this was clearly a divine appointment. Times like these are special and don't come along all that often. This is a powerful testimony!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!