Good morning friends,
I was having my quiet time this morning and wrote a question in my Journal. "What's on your heart, God?" Immediately I got a response:
"Enter the Waiting."
Oh boy! Waiting! And then God brought to mind a vision from some time ago, of a big waiting room at a Doctor's Office. I don't mean a nice one. More along the lines of a Naval Hospital with a big empty room, linoleum tile on the floor, and a bunch of aluminum chairs with torn vinyl cushions along the wall. That's it. Bad Lighting, but there's nothing to read anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter. At the far end of the room, a door opens, and a nurse in traditional nurses outfit (circa 1940's) appears with her clipboard to call my name.
While I was thinking about this, and asking God what He meant by that, 2 Kings 25:27-30 came to mind:
When Jehoiachin king of Judah had been in exile for thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became king in Babylon and let Jehoiachin out of prison. This release took place on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. The king treated him most courteously and gave him preferential treatment beyond anything experienced by the other political prisoners held in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and for the rest of his life ate his meals in the company of the king. The king provided everything he needed to live comfortably.
Many of you have asked when I am getting out of here. Honestly? I don't know. What I think God was indicating to me by the Waiting Room vision and the story of king Jehoiachin was that the Time-Frame is indeterminate at my end. When you check in at the nurse's station, they don't tell you it will be 30 minutes. They take your name, and then you wait. But EVENTUALLY, your name will be called.
As for Jehoiachin, he was expecting to be in prison for the rest of his life, but was released out of the blue to the king's court. The most unexpected of surprises! Not just let out of jail, but moved to a place of comfort. Not just comfort, but he got his old life back- being in the center of political power. But this time, not as king of a minor country on on the outskirts, but as confidant of the ruler of an empire. I'm speculating, obviously, but I can't imagine the king of Babylon going to the trouble unless he enjoyed having Jehoiachin around.
My position here in this hospital is much like that of a soldier enlisting in the middle of a big war. He doesn't enlist for a year, or for two years. No. He enlists for the duration. The doctors say that the "norm" is for the process to take a month after the stem cell transplant. That's two weeks in the hospital, and two weeks for observation where I still must stay here in town. But the reality is, anything can happen. I may end up being in this room for another month instead of just another week. It's not up to me. Recovery time at home afterwards ranges from four to nine months. Every person is different.
But ultimately, my name WILL be called and I WILL get out of here. Until that day, I am to hold things lightly. To live in the moment. To live my life, here in the hospital for however long God has me here. That's the mission. Just... to be.
"Enter the Waiting."
Well put. There is a Greek word that comes to mind. Kairos. When I was a prisoner I explored a group by the same name and experienced some profound spiritual moments there.
There is also a similar word in Greek that has a similar use but much different meaning. It's Chronos. Like on a stopwatch. Like a bus line. Like the moon traveling a path around the earth, or the earth around the sun.
Kairos and chronos both refer to time. Kairos is the time a baby comes. When, at what time and day will this occur? Don't know. Can't know. But we can anticipate that 9 months-ish a baby will be born after the moment of fertilization. Waiting on…