Running With Patience

For many years, maybe since we were young marrieds, we’ve had a ‘Wall of Witnesses’ hanging in our bedroom.  These are pictures of people who have greatly influenced us over the years.  Our parents, my grandmother, other couples and individuals who have helped make us who we are.  The idea behind this collection is taken from Hebrews 12:1-3. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it, where Paul says, 

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

I’ve kept this collection of pictures in my bedroom because that seems to be where I spend most of my ‘reflective’ thought and I like to look at them occasionally to ‘check’ how I’m doing.  Unfortunately for us, 10 of these people now influence us from heaven, but how they handled their deaths (at least 4 by dementia), also factors in as they still remind us how to live.

So moving up to the present now. This week has been hard on me because I’ve never been good with being patient and we’ve been waiting for test results on both of us. I think it’s interesting that the part in Hebrews about “running with patience” is translated several different ways, including patience, endurance and determination; but they all come from one Greek word that talks about “staying power”, something we all need from time to time.

Happily, I Finally got the A-OK from my doctor, yes my numbers are off, but he says it’s “age appropriate”, and I need to see him in a year.  Whew.

Tony’s another story.  After being told last week to come in on Thursday for an MRI on his prostate, and then promising we’d talk to the doctor immediately afterwards, we felt that THIS would finally give us some answers, something to help us get a handle on this.

We went in, even arriving early as we were more than enthusiastic. The MRI went without a hitch, which was admirable since he’s a bit claustrophobic.

Then we hurried over to the doctor for the ‘reveal’.

We were greeted by the receptionist who, turning casually towards us, said flatly.  “Oh, we don’t have the results, so you need to come back NEXT Wednesday"  (7 days away). We looked at each other in dismay and then politely asked if we’d heard her right.  She couldn’t possibly be saying "Wait 7 days to know if you have cancer!’"  But as she cracked her neck and straightened up in her chair, she volleyed back, “The doctor is VERY  busy and he CAN’T see you till then”.  And as we gaped in surprise she added a weak  “sorry”, as if explaining that she’d run out of Chocolate ice cream! 

Last week in our Bible study we expounded on the theme “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”, but I forgot about that, as I (although I can’t really remember) might have put one knee on the counter and was readying myself to take her out. Tony looked more disturbed than he usually does and I thought maybe he’d give me a lift up.

We begged and cajoled and got nothing.  We suggested other doctors and then threatened to go elsewhere, all rebuffed by her inimitable stubbornness as she reeled off things like “That’s not how it works” and “You can’t do that”.  I haven’t been that mad in awhile, not at her but the ’system’ that plays so handily with our lives. She refused to give an inch, and we finally had to acquiesce to our bad luck.   I got in the elevator and told some complete strangers what I thought of socialized medicine. I think I also included what I thought of my adopted (what was I thinking) country, Australia.  Tony gently reminded me later that I didn’t have to ruin anyone else's lives just because I was upset.

On the ride home I called my sister, perhaps the best sounding board because she’s 10,000 miles away.  She suggested a gun and maybe a call to the president, or better yet some fake news media.

Then I called my ‘go to friend’ here, and she was livid.  She’s a firm believer of what they call “Gap” insurance that is supposed to prevent this very thing from happening.  We pay for that every month and still somehow we’ve arrived at this result.  What kind of system can put you off for a week because the doctor is “busy?” As we continued home, still fuming, we convinced each other that we had heard the clatter of golf clubs in the doctor’s office.  

And then, when I told every sympathetic soul I could find, I went to my next defense: a nice pout and nap in my room.

And there they were.  My witnesses looking down at me, possibly with a disappointed sneer of distain, as if to say, “Didn’t we raise you better”?      I’m pretty sure my Daddy’s smile had faded and his eyebrow was raised.  

I had my answer. It was time to ‘run with patience’ and act like I believed in a greater God than my own desires.   I called the poor receptionist and apologized.  I guess you shouldn’t shoot the messenger. Then I went to sleep and when I woke up I could hear Tony talking on the phone.  

You guessed it.  We found out the next day when Tony went in to do some paperwork (I waited in the car this time), that when the receptionist hung up the phone from my apology, she noticed the Doctor leaving and grabbed his arm to plea our case.

Yes, the doctor said, there is an abnormality and he’ll move things around a bit and get Tony in for a biopsy this next Tuesday the 15th  (Monday in America). We don’t mind asking you for a prayer of complete healing.  But we also know that whatever happens, God is in it, and we’ll try to proceed with more style and grace………and keep you posted. They say they'll have results by Thursday or Friday.

Who’s been an influence in your life and are they watching you now?

Thank you for being my sounding board and support.  We really appreciate you all.

Marsha