There were a number of other lessons, but one other I think I have to share. The first morning of seeing patients was very similar to last year, with a crush of people crowding around and repeatedly bursting into the room as I tried to take a history through the translator and examine the patient. I was increasingly frustrated, and on the walk to lunch I was praying about it when God called to my mind that, while I was fuming about 40-50 people crowding around me demanding my diagnoses and recommendations, Jesus had 4000 crowding around Him asking for life eternal.
My inconvenience was minimal, and not very compassionate. I asked God's forgiveness, and determined to have a different attitude that afternoon. Within 5 minutes, one of the non-medical helpers on the trip came up to me and stated he wanted to organize things better for me, and that he would work out a number system. And with that, the rest of the trip for me was a very organized series of patient examinations.
But I needed that lesson in compassion. The next afternoon, the Cardiology group (everyone but me and my two assistants) finished early, by 4:30. They informed us they were all leaving to go back to the hotel, and that we HAD to be done by 6:00 to go to dinner. But at 5:30, we still had 7 patients left to be seen. The two guys helping me asked what I wanted to do, because there would be no sense in making some of them wait only to be told we were leaving at 6:00. I thought about the lesson on compassion, and asked if they minded being late for dinner, because we were going to another town the next day, and therefore would not be able to come back for anyone we turned away. They both agreed whole heartedly.
At 6:20, as I was getting ready to call one of the last patients into the room, one of the guys stuck his head in with wide-eyed eagerness, announced that this parent actually spoke English, and he had shared the gospel with her. She had said she was not yet ready to accept Christ, but this guy was convinced that I needed to share it with her one more time. So as I began to ask questions about her daughter's seizures, I was praying, "God, show me how to segue into a Gospel presentation, show me how to transition this discussion".
Suddenly, the mother looked at me and asked, "How do I accept Jesus into my life?" I shared with her, asked if she wanted to pray for Him to come into her life now, and she said "Yes"!!!!! What an incredible gift God gave me for the simple act of obedience to His lesson to me.
And can you imagine a ten day trip with lessons like that every day? God is so incredibly good, most especially for His personal involvement and His opening my eyes to see.
How can we not praise Him at all times?
Indeed! Thanks, Rich, for sharing the story with me.
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