“Remember, from dust you came and to dust you will
return.” ~ Genesis 3:19
Dr. Mary Grace rushed into the
hospital after being called for an emergency surgery. She changed into scrubs and went directly to
the waiting area where she met the patient’s father pacing nervously in the
hallway. Introducing herself with a kind
but confident voice, she extended her hand.
He refused to shake it.
Hadn’t he demanded a male orthopedic surgeon? What kind of hospital was this anyway, he wondered.
Mary had experienced this type of discrimination before – but
mostly from male colleagues. People used
to believe it required physical force to maneuver fractured bones or dislocated
joints. That may have been true decades
ago, but advances in modern equipment have shifted the primary requisites from
brute strength to deft hands, single-pointed focus, and an aptitude in 3-D imaging.
She remained calm.
“Why’d it take you so long to get here,” the dad barked
shamelessly. Didn’t you know my son’s
life was in danger? Don’t you have any
sense of urgency?”
Mary smiled. “I’m sorry; I wasn’t in the hospital but came immediately. Please calm down; I’ll need your permission
to begin.”
“Calm down? Would you
be calm if that was your son? Is he
going to be paralyzed forever?” questioned the father angrily.
Mary smiled again and replied: “The Holy Bible reminds me
that ‘From dust we came and to dust we’ll return one day!” She continued, “Doctors can’t prolong lives,
only God can. We’ll do our very best . . . by
His grace.”
“It must be so easy to offer advice when you’re not
involved.” murmured the father.
Undeterred, she entered the OR and went to work. Spinal cord injuries can be so delicate.
After several hours of surgery, Dr. Grace emerged from the
operating room with a weary smile. “By
the grace of God, your son’s doing fine.
If you have any question, ask the nurse.” Then without waiting for the father’s reply,
she turned and left immediately.
“What a jerk,” he said to no one in particular. When the nurse approached, he asked cynically
“Couldn’t she have waited another two minutes so that I could ask about my
son’s recovery?”
The nurse answered, tears freckling her cheeks: “Her son
died yesterday in an auto accident. She
was making funeral arrangements when we called her for your son’s surgery. Sir, we’re human too! We try desperate to extend life – and we
often have to forget about our own. What
questions do you have now?”
It’s easy to point an accusatory finger at this father
reminding him never to jump to conclusions about others for you never know what
they’re going through. But isn’t it just
as wrong to judge the father? Our first
impressions are seldom the final ones.
Lord, when we judge others, we put ourselves
in Your place, taking the authority reserved only for You. We forget that other people are fighting
their own inner battles and sometimes that conflict shows itself in irritating
actions. Help me be more compassionate
and forgiving. Amen
