My mom sent me a Bible Study that she recently wrote for the cancer support group that her and Dad helped to launch. Since she used my recent life incidents in her writing, I figured I would return the favor.

I am thankful for the love of reading and writing that she has passed along to me. Enjoy this excerpt from “God’s Waiting Room”

Monday morning my son sent out a picture on Facebook of his bummed up knee, with the caption “Waiting Room”.  Last Thursday he and his 4 yr old son were walking their 8 month old Lab mix puppy when the boy and the dog somehow tangled themselves and the leash around Bryan’s legs, causing him to fall.  After a visit to the local walk in clinic the next morning, his fears of a broken knee were confirmed.  The Dr gave him some medicine, wrapped the knee in a compression bandage and told him that he would need to see an Orthopedic specialist the following Monday.  He took the picture and made the Facebook post while sitting in the Ortho waiting room, waiting to see the doctor.  …We had just spent the previous week cleaning and painting the new house they purchased and at the time of the fall they were waiting for carpet to be installed so they could have their furniture delivered.  Waiting.  They did a lot of that in the past year.

As I looked at his picture and read the caption “waiting room”, I thought about how many times we had been in waiting rooms – not Dr’s waiting rooms, but God’s Waiting Room.  One of those very hard to experience waiting rooms was when my Mom was going through her fight with cancer.  I was a young mother of two very active boys.  Gordon and I had a Home Improvement Business that it took both of us to run.  We were very involved in our church with many commitments.  But for almost two years, I spent a good bit of my time sitting in hospital rooms, doctors’ offices and by the bedside of my sweet Mother.  I felt as if my life was put on hold.  Many of those times I was exhibiting some of those characteristics we listed at the beginning anxiety, worry, frustration, and fear.

Another of God’s Waiting Rooms I’ve had to visit way too often involved facing surgeries and long recovery periods.  When I was in my mid 40s we found out I had an eye disease that was causing me to lose my eyesight.  The only cure was a cornea transplant.  That involved waiting for surgery until there was a donor cornea available.  How do you pray for a cornea when you know that someone will have to die for you to be able to see?

Other waiting rooms involved business reversals and changing careers late in life.

Now I would like to tell you that when I was going through these times, the first thing I did was run to God and wait calmly in His Presence.   But I didn’t.  I was an active Christian, doing lots of good things, but I didn’t want to be where He had me and I made sure I told Him about it.

Ps 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.   Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah (NIV)

No matter what happens – earthquakes, hurricanes, when illness strikes, when you lose someone you love, when your son is sent far away to fight a war – God is always present.  He is our safe place.

You see that little word at the end “Selah”?  This Psalm was probably written as a song of worship and Selah is a musical notation meaning  “Pause”.   One commentator said that his friend always read this as “Pause and let that sink in”.  I really like that.

Read the verses and pause to let the meaning really sink in.

Don’t panic –pause and meditate on God’s Word.

Don’t fret or fear – pause and Cast your cares upon Him.

In place of worry and anxiety – pause.  Know that God is your firm foundation.  He is our refuge.  He is always present, especially during time of trouble.  Especially when we are in God’s Waiting Room.