Jesus in Disguise

Have you ever had a relatively average kind of day, where nothing too out of the ordinary is occurring and then God shows up? OK, so first, let me make it perfectly clear that having an average, nothing out of the ordinary kind of day - especially on a Monday, isn't a bad thing. But and however, I'll take an interruption from God over average any day!

So I'm up seeing this patient today - making an observation so to speak. There is a physician at bedside speaking with the patient so I'm just standing toward the back of the room so as not to disturb the conversation. The lunch lady comes in with a tray and sets it on the patient's bedside table.

So said physician and patient finish their conversation and the physician asks, "Would you like me to help you raise the back of your bed so you can sit up to eat?" The patient answers yes, so the physician helps raise the back of the patient's bed and then even pulled the food tray over to the patient's lap. That was truly nice and helpful and more than a lot of people would have done. Unfortunately, we as health care workers get so focused on the patient that we often miss the person in the bed. But the bed, the food tray help - this would be a good ending to a nice "feel good about people in the world story" and everyone would be happy, right? Except - God showed up!

Conversation continues:
MD: Let's see what is for lunch. (takes lid off the plate - a sandwich). Would it make it easier if I cut it for you?
Patient: Yes
MD: (Taking a knife and fork, begins to cut the sandwich) We ask the kids if they want 2 triangles or 4. Which would be better for you?
Patient: Four (MD complies)
MD: (takes lid off soup) You could dip your sandwich in here to make it a bit softer. (opens another container) Looks like dessert. (moves to tea glass) Do you need some sweetener in your tea?
Patient: Yes
MD: One or two packets?
Patient: Two
MD: (Mixing in the sweetener and then replacing the lid and straw and moving the glass down closer to the patient to make sure it is easier to reach) Is there anything else I can do for you?
Patient: No
MD: OK, well then, I will see you tomorrow. (exit room)

OK so the patient responses are shortened, but you get the gist, right? So did you see Him? Did you see God show up? Let me show you...

1st John 4:8 - "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
1st John 4:16 - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."
1st Corinthians 13:4 - "Love is patient. Love is kind."

So now do you see Him? That physician had other patients to see, other things to do, charts to write and the list goes on. But that physician took the time to be patient and kind and in doing so was sharing God's love. And in doing so, was also giving a living lesson to this observer about how to live like and be like Jesus.

How often do we miss opportunities to be Jesus to others and to share His love because we are too busy or too self-focused or in too much of a hurry to take care of what we think is urgent rather than stopping and doing that which is important - loving people the way God does. Looking at it from another angle - how often each day is He patient and kind to us and with us? With all we see and hear about going on in our world today, He still took time to make the sun shine or a bird sing or a new song from a friend or . . . The point being, He is always patient and kind with us. What a gift it was today to see someone truly being God's loving hands.

That physician probably didn't even think about what was going on or what they were doing - it needed to be done and so the physician did it. How often do we, in our "busyness'" do the only what most people would think is nice (help raise a bed and pull over a food tray) when we could do what is loving? "By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." (Jn 13:35) How do we show and share Jesus? Seems like He's made it pretty obvious - we love. And how do we love? By having tangible ways of being patient and kind and not envying and being humble and etc. That's how we truly share God's love. That's how we are Jesus in this world. 

I'm glad I got to see this lesson today - it truly made for a not so ordinary Monday! And it's just cool to see all the ways God reveals Himself to us and ways He shows us how to be more like Him. That physician didn't recognize what was done, but what that patient saw and what this observer saw was Jesus in disguise.