A hospital waiting room was the last place I thought I’d find myself. It was certainly the last place in the world I wanted to be. Every minute felt like an eternity as I sat waiting for news from the surgeon. Only thirty-six hours before, my dad and I were in the kitchen making breakfast together, enjoying the holiday weekend. How quickly life changes. Now here I was on my knees as my dad underwent emergency open-heart surgery.
It seems to me that hospital waiting rooms were created intentionally for getting lost in thought. White walls, uncomfortable chairs, hustling doctors, the constant beeping of a monitor, and some muffled sitcom heard from the TV next door. As I sat there, I found myself thinking about waiting rooms. I realized that life is full of waiting rooms. For each one of us, our waiting room and seasons of waiting look different. Yet the one thing about the waiting game is, it’s never easy.
This reminded me of a similar reflection found in a recent Mercy Minute feature. I recalled the story of Mafoudiya and her mother who also found themselves in a waiting room, not too long ago. Their waiting began at birth when Mafoudiya was born with a cleft lip. For Mafoudiya, the Mercy Ships waiting room was a “chance to find hope and healing.” For years, Mafoudiya’s mother had prayed for healing for her daughter. It was her consistent prayers and unwavering faith that became my gentle reminder.
In his Mercy Minute feature, Don Stephens brings daily encouragement to listeners with stories of great hope and healing. Thank you for your partnership with this incredible ministry, because you air Mercy Minute, your listeners are reminded of God’s mercy as they endure the waiting rooms in their own lives.
