December 28, 2009
Emergency! Emergency!
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth
"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always" (Psalm 105:4NIV).
Friend To Friend
My husband, Steve, graduated from dental school in 1981. For the first two years, I was his only employee: his dental hygienist, dental assistant, receptionist, and insurance clerk. On the days that I was not helping him, I worked for another dentist in town. I was so exhausted most of the time that our joke became, "Sharon works six days a week and cries on the seventh."
One thing that amazed me, in starting a new practice, was all the emergency phone calls that Steve received on nights and weekends. I usually answered the phone and asked the caller several questions, one of which was, "Mrs. Jones, how long have you been having this problem?" Invariably the patient would say, "three days," "two weeks," "a month." I always thought, "So why did you wait until Saturday to call?" Of course, being the sweet person that I am, I never said that.
One night the phone rang at about 2:00 a.m. I groggily picked up the phone and managed a weak, "Hello."
"Hello," the woman on the other end stated. "My son is having a terrible toothache. Is the doctor in?"
Where did she think he would be, other than "in" at 2:00 in the morning? "Yes ma'am, he is. How long has this tooth been bothering your son?"
"Oh, I'd say for about two weeks," she answered.
So why did you wait until now to call (thought, not said, of course). I spoke with this mother for a few more minutes. Something about this call signaled a red flag in my mind. Then I asked, "Ma'am, how old is your son?"
"Twenty-seven," She answered. "My son is twenty-seven-years- old."
I was so shocked that I quickly sat up in the bed, accidentally jerking the phone cord out of the wall, and disconnecting the caller. She did not call back. I had envisioned a distraught mother with a crying five year old. But twenty-seven? Oh my.
I laid back down complaining and grumbling. "Lord, why is it that people won't go to the doctor regularly but only want help on demand when they have an emergency?"
When I got quiet enough to listen, I heard God's still small voice whisper to my heart - "Now you know how I feel."
Let's Pray
Dear Father, I am so sorry that I tend to come to You only when I have an emergency. I know that You long for me to come to You every day simply to tell you how much I love You and how thankful I am for all You do for me. Today, I want to say just that…I love You. Thank You for Your loving kindness toward me, Your little child.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
I hope you laughed at today's devotion…at least cracked a smile. Doesn't God have a wonderful sense of humor? Now let's think about the lessons learned.
Do you tend to pray more often when you are in need?
If you are a parent, how would you feel if your child only talked to you when he or she needed something?
As a parent, what sort of conversations do you long for? What does your heart good?
Now, what do you think Your Heavenly Father longs to hear from you?
I always love to hear your thoughts. Come by for a visit at www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes
More From The Girlfriends
Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's book, Becoming a Woman who Listens to God. If you would like to make hearing from God a daily experience in your life, then this book will sharpen your spiritual ears!
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Originally published Monday, 28 December 2009.
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