Waiting Room

It was a Sunday morning in November, and my husband and I were on our way to pick up my grandmother for church. I knocked on her door and heard her say that she was unable to answer it. I called for one of the nurses at the residential facility, and asked them to open her door. I found my grandma lying up against the wall. She looked injured, and evidently, I had arrived just in time.

Grandma explained that she suddenly fell as she was getting ready to meet me. The nurse indicated that someone needed to take her to the emergency room. Without hesitating, I told her that I would insist on getting her there. She remarked, “The LORD sent you at the right time to come and help me.” This was yet another instance in my life when God chose to reveal his impeccable timing that cannot be mistaken.“He has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).”

My husband and I helped her into our car, and we headed off to the hospital. When we arrived, we sat in the waiting room as we listened for her name to be called. I was amazed at how courageous she was at that moment. My grandma is a small woman; petite in height and stature. However, that has nothing to do with the size of her faith. As she sat in that waiting room, she displayed the meaning of the “mustard seed.” Like a small mustard seed, her faith was able to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). A mustard tree can grow anywhere and not be affected or altered by its surroundings. That is why Jesus proclaims, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20-21).” This was the attitude that my grandma displayed that day. She was in an emergency room, but she still grounded herself in faith. She was not altered by fear or anxiety.

My grandma's name was called, and she was instructed to go through a series of tests to see if there was any damage from the fall. After she went through a CAT scan and X-ray, she came back to her room and talked with me. She explained, “We never know what will happen to us throughout the day, but we do know that God will always be there with a way to help us.” I still admired that she was not upset about falling or having to spend the day in the hospital. Rather, she was grateful that the LORD had planned for me to find her at that given moment when she needed assistance.

Three days passed and she was able to return home. The doctors found no concerns from the fall, so she must have lost her balance. It was difficult to see her in pain, but I was so grateful to be apart of the day when I witnessed my grandma's extraordinary faith. After that day, I can say that the occurrence transformed me into a stronger believer. I am not as easily triggered by anxious or troubled emotions. I am not concerned about tragic events happening in my life, because I realize that God will have someone or something planned to assist me in time of need.

Our time in that waiting room strengthened my relationship with my grandma. More than ever, I see her as a powerful follower of Christ who will follow him all the days of her life. I make an extra effort to visit and spend time with her. I am touched that the LORD uses our time together as a way for me to become closer to Him and grow into the woman He continues to create me to be.