The other day (Thursday, December 12) I went with a friend to her scope appointment at the hospital. While in the main waiting room area, a representative from a local hospital came in and announced that there was food in the ICU waiting room for all folks like us hanging out in the waiting room. Since we had run into an old friend who was there with another friend for a friend, we were all waiting for my friend to get called back into a room.
The friend that we knew from another church went with his friend to get some food (which by the way was yummy sandwiches, chips, deviled eggs, etc).
My friend got called back to a room.
Then, I got moved to a smaller waiting room and said goodbye to my friends, the old one and the new one. It had been good to catch up with the one and get to know the other.
In the new waiting room, there weren't as many people.
After reading for quite a while, a tall gentleman comes in, looking around and saying 'there's no food in here.' He sits down declaring that he could eat a large hamburger about now, making a huge hamburger sign with his hands. Sounded good to me. He had some pictures with him. Now I understood why he was so hungry. He was a patient and just finished with a scope. I didn't ask which one.
I told him there was food in the ICU waiting room, compliments of a church, but that I didn't know how to get there because someone else had been kind enough to get my plate. He declined. He didn't seem to really want to go anywhere.
I noticed he was wearing a star around his neck. It looked like a Star of David, but a little different. So, I got up to take a closer look. I told him I liked his star. He told me it was a Star of David. It had colored jewels inside. Then he proceeded to start talking about the King. And, he slowly, yet surely, became animated. Not overly animated, but alive.
He forgot all about his hunger.
Turns out, he's a preacher. His dad and his grandfather were preachers. They were gifted with healing. He talked about Jesus, helping others, taking the Word and food into the projects, offering picnics to kids when his kids were younger, etc. He shared and shared. I wondered what the rest of the folks thought about this, but they seemed to be okay with it. I was a little concerned that I had started something by simply asking about his star.
It was neat listening to his stories.
When he was done, I said something to him about getting his meal later on and he said he didn't even feel hungry any more. A lady near me said that he just ate. ☺ She knew what was going on. She had not only been listening, but interacting.
Yes, there was spiritual food being shared in that waiting room. And, even though he was the one sharing it, he was also fed by it, as were the rest of us. We all got filled it.
After his ride came and he left, I overheard some other conversations. I shouldn't have been worried whether or not I should have started a conversation. First of all, if I am acting on God's leadings, that is God's issue. Second of all, the other folks started talking about church and ministry, etc.
I didn't get the guys' name.
But I did get two helpings of waiting room food that day.
Blessings on your journey,
Debra
