It was a beautiful Sunday morning in San Diego. Carol and I journeyed north to attend morning service at our church in Vista, California. After service we visited with our fellow members and then left for home. On the way we planned our afternoon.
After a light lunch at home, Carol would visit her 94 year old mother, Clara. Clara was at a rehabilitation facility recovering from a number of falls that required a short stay in the hospital followed by rehabilitation. My agenda was to make a visit to church members living in Lakeside about twenty miles east of our home. This couple had experienced some illness and had not been able to come to church for a few weeks. My visit had a twofold purpose. My first priority was a pastoral visit to my friends in hopes of offering some encouragement and share some of the treasures gleaned from the morning sermon. My secondary purpose was to accept my friend’s offer to loan me one of her husband’s walkers for my mother-in-law. We expected Clara would be leaving rehab soon and needed a walker until she could get her strength back.
After our lunch, Carol left to visit her mother and I headed off to Lakeside.
Carol’s visit went well. She was able to share some nuggets from the morning service that lifted Clara’s spirits. Carol left after her visit to do some shopping at a mall near the rehab center.
Meanwhile, I made my journey east to visit our friends. The three of us enjoyed a pleasant conversation sharing thoughts inspired by the morning’s church service. Following our conversation, I viewed the collection of available walkers. I picked out two and after our goodbyes, I loaded them into my car and headed home.
I was about a third of the way home when my phone rang. It was Carol. She had just received a call from the rehab center that Clara fell and they were hailing an ambulance to take her to the hospital emergency room. Although Clara did not sustain any noticeable injury, hospital protocol required her to go to emergency. I told Carol I was on my way home and would divert my course to the hospital and meet them there.
I immediately prayed. Firstly I thanked God that Clara was not seriously hurt. Then, with a disappointed feeling, questioned Him as to why it had to happen yet again! No sooner did these questioning words escape my lips when another thought forcefully gripped my mind. Its expression came in the words, “Okay Lord, I know you must have something big and important planned for this to happen again. I don’t know what You have up Your sleeve, but I just want You to know I am going to be keeping my eyes wide open for whatever You have in store. Just give me skill to listen for the whisper of Your Spirit when He is guided somewhere to fulfill Your purpose and hope in me.”
About twenty minutes later I arrived at the hospital emergency parking area and parked my car. I exited the car just as the ambulance carrying Carol and Clara arrived. The back door of the ambulance opened and Carol came out followed by the gurney carrying Clara. Clara was wheeled by the EMT’s into the emergency room with Carol and me right behind.
Upon entering the emergency room we found it to be jammed packed. Not a single cubicle was available. Doctors and nurses were busy attending the overloaded facility. Amidst the beehive of activity, Clara was transferred onto a hospital gurney, quickly examined and assessed as not critical. Her gurney was placed against the wall in the hallway. A folding chair was provided for Carol at the foot of Clara’s gurney. I stood in a one foot square space next to Carol against the wall. This was the only possible place for me to stand. Six inches either way I would be blocking the busy corridor to my right or access to a constantly opening and closing door just behind me. I stood there for about fifteen minutes.
Suddenly a young lady came up to me, looked into my eyes and asked, “Evangelist Musterer?”
I replied, “Yes.”
She said pointing, “If you look over there, just through the small crack in that curtain, you will see my mother. She was with you in church this morning. When she came home, she couldn’t breathe and we had to call for an ambulance to bring her here to emergency. She has been here for a while and when she looked up through the little crack in the curtain she saw you. Will you please come and pray with her after the doctor leaves her cubicle?”
“Of course,” I said, “I will be honored to pray with her!”
She quickly returned to her mother and I quietly prayed and thanked God for giving me this blessing, to be a blessing for my friend in her time of need. I marveled at the extraordinary length God went to engineering this meeting and to serve someone in need. I realized that I was standing in the one and only square foot of that hospital where I was visible to our sister in faith. I stood in absolute awe of the love of God for those who love Him and the meticulous means He uses to affect His blessings on those in need.
I watched intently until I saw the doctor leave my friend’s cubicle and made my way to visit her. I smiled and shared with her what God had done in making it possible for me to be there for her. I prayed with her, thanking God for His awesome act of love and asked for His continued blessing for her health. I offered her some words of encouragement and assured her that I would contact her priest and advise him of her situation.
I returned to my “station” and called the priest from our Vista congregation who had been out of town that day. I filled him in on what had just happened and he immediately made plans for a hospital visit to my friend.
After a short stay in the hospital, she was able to regain her strength and health and returned home. Clara was sent back to rehab after all her tests proved normal. She had no injury of any kind! All day I thought of this experience and how God was able to get my attention to do something to fulfill His purpose.
Turning Points
This experience reinforces the principles of Solomon’s recipe – Trust, look past understanding, in all things acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. When the fourth part can become reality – and He will direct your paths – you experience profound events such as this one. In reflecting on my prayer when I discovered Clara had fallen again, I noted that thanksgiving came first, then acknowledgement, then the preparation for the anticipated guidance – another turning point for me.
COPYRIGHT © 2014 ALLAN E. MUSTERER