My Observations While Being Observed: Part 1

Since my weekend trip to the hospital, I have been encouraged, strongly by some, to rest this week.  In my case, this really doesn't make sense because my physical condition now is much better than it was Saturday when I checked in.  But, I had to promise, so being true to my word, I thought it would be a good time to catch up on my blogging which has lagged as much as I did last week.

After much poking, prodding, and scanning, the ER physician told me I would need to stay overnight for "observation".  I know she was talking about the hospital staff watching me, but I found myself doing much observing as well.  Here are some of the thoughts I had while in and around Room 218:

Your outward appearance in the waiting room doesn't truly reveal the seriousness of your condition inside.

In the emergency room waiting area there were several people waiting to see the doctor.  There were  three little old ladies, hobbling on canes and walkers. (No, I was not one of them)  There was a family with several small children jockeying for a spot to see the TV mounted in the corner.  There was a mom, wrapped in a blanket, leading 2 preschoolers to the far corner seats.  There was a young couple, the wife with a bandaged finger.  As I looked around the room, I realized that some injuries were fairly obvious; the lady with the bandaged finger probably had a cut that would need stitches.  The mom with the miserable expression, wrapped in a blanket may have had the flu.  But, for the most part, you couldn't tell who was most seriously ill just by looking at their outward appearance.  The mom in the blanket could have a bad cold.  Or meningitis.  The old lady with the walker could have some arthritis in her knee; or a kidney that was failing.  Even my own situation, I didn't know if I was having heart failure or blood clots. (Fortunately, neither)In much the same way, we can observe the people in the world around us and still know that:

Obvious outward signs of sin or hurt, or the lack of the same,  doesn't always reveal the true condition of our spirit.

Only God knows our hearts.  We have become experts at concealing our sins and hurts.  We smile and hope people around us don't see the hurt that is deep inside. Or find out about the sin that we continue to live in.   Sometimes it shows.  We can't hide it all.  But  only God knows the true condition of our hearts.  And only He can provide the exact healing to the specific hurt that will make us whole.