God's sense of humor

When my family and I first moved to Georgia when I was sixteen, it took us a little while to find the shortcuts. However, with my dad and I on the case it was not too long. Both of us are quite determined to find the quickest, best, most efficient way to do just about anything. So, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered a new shortcut to one of the main roads. I distinctly remember coming and telling my dad, but he said he had found the fastest way. In the end, we had ourselves a challenge. We needed to clock the mileage for each way. My dad's was 4.1 and mine..... 1.6!! I was the winner! (Not competitive at all) I put that on the refrigerator. I wish this was a lone story in the history of my childhood, but it is not. Throughout my life, I have been on the search for the most efficient, best way to do things even things like loading the dishwasher. I cannot stand inefficiency. To make matter worst, I went to an engineering school and even studied more ways to make things better and more efficient. This is me, for better or for worse, it is me.

Then, what does God do. God calls me to a place where relationships are valued over efficiency. Interesting, don't you think. Find the most efficient method, is just about impossible because things change so much. I needed to go and get an Xray for my foot. We were told that the technician at one hospital would be there at 9am. So we showed up, at 9am. No technician. By now, I should not be suprised. No one was really sure where he was. He never showed the night before. He is out traveling. He could be back anytime. They just told me to wait, but by now I know better, ask more questions! What does anytime mean I ask? Later today? Maybe, or maybe tomorrow or maybe next week. I figured that waiting could take a while.

So, we went to another hospital. Finding how to see the doctor was a bit challenging. People just kept going in to the room with the doctor even people that had come after me. Since I could not walk very well, it made it a bit difficult to beat anyone to the door. Thank God for Julia. She got me in. Of course, once I was in, I still had to wait for 15 minutes for the doctor and nurse to talk. Once they finished, he said, "Hello, mzungu" Clearly, he did not realize that I had understood everything that he and the nurse had been talking about. He asked what happened, never once looking at my foot or examining me. Sent me off to get an Xray. That technician was of course no where to be found and no one really knew where he was or when he would be back.

At this point, I wish I could say that I responded with grace and humility and was an example for Christ. But, alas that was not to be. The result was me telling the nurse who was trying to find the xray technician, that I was sorry that her hospital was so poorly run. My emotions got the better of me. My foot was in a lot of pain and I was aghast at the complete inefficiency of the methods. Oh well..... Maybe God is trying to teach me something....