Jeremiah 31:3
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
I began my day nervously preparing to take my strong-willed three year old to his first dental appointment. I had taken him the day before to tour the building, meet the hygienist and dentist, and get him comfortable with the office. He seemed relaxed and as excited as he could be at the thought of strangers putting pointy things in his mouth. Needless to say, I was sure to put my Mommy face on this morning. I was prepared to be consoling but just as prepared to use brute force if necessary to get his teeth checked. My focus was to teach my child the importance of going to the dentist. God's focus was on teaching His child: me.
We walk in the dentist, me certainly feeling more nervous than Owen. As he takes off to the toy section of the waiting room, I'm waiting in line to check him in. As I approach the front desk, I notice the face of the person behind it. It was someone I had gone to school with. Not so much of a good, close friend but more of an acquaintance I'd say. I remember she wasn't at the top of the popularity list at school, nor was she much of an extrovert by any stretch of the imagination. But, I was always kind to her. I always included her with our group during lunch if she was sitting alone. I tried to make small talk when I'd see her around school. You can imagine my relief to see a familiar face as I'm nervously approaching another milestone with my son. As she looked up and I met eyes with her, I can imagine I had a huge smile on my face as I spoke. "Hi, *******! How are you?" She immediately looked down to her schedule, seemingly insulted by my chipper greeting, and said, "Hello. What's the child's name?" I replied, with a little sting in my voice, smile quickly fading, "Owen is here for his first appointment today." Still glancing at her schedule as if the words had changed since she last looked, she replies, "I need a first and last name." Well, you get the idea how this conversation went. Not only was she not interested in small talk, she was had no intentions of making me feel welcomed.
I gave her all the necessary information, got Owen checked in, and was sure to sit rather far away from the front desk. After all, my goal wasn't to make her feel uncomfortable. As I sat in my chair, I thought back to those times I tried to include her. I remembered having a class or two with her, passing her by occasionally in the hallway, and doing what I could to make her feel welcomed. To be honest, it stung a little bit to see the way she responded to me. I was just another patient in that office. Sure, we haven't really seen each other since high school, but I thought we left on good terms. I felt I gave everything I could as fifteen year old punk, high school kid trying to relate to someone so unlike me.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. How often do we treat God as just another "patient" in our office? How often does God try and speak something to our heart, I'm sure with a beaming smile and excitement in His voice, and while looking down at our busy schedules, we simply hand him a number and ask Him to take a seat. Imagine the pain that ripples through His heart as He gently takes that number and has a seat in the waiting room of your day, painfully choosing the seat in the far corner, as to not pressure you or force Himself upon you. I'm sure He feels a deep pain. After all, He gave it all for us to be with Him.
He doesn't consider us just an acquaintance, we are His children! He loves us with an everlasting love. An unconditional love. I can imagine Him holding that number, reminiscing of your younger days when you had such childlike faith. When it wasn't too much to ask for gumdrops to fall out of the sky. When you were quick to listen when He called and sure to push Him to front of your to-do-list for the day. But not today. Today, He's given a number. Today He's that patient in the waiting room.
How much priority have you given God today in your life? Are you so busy with your schedule, so consumed with "life" around you that you can't acknowledge His presence? He's waiting in line behind the more important things of your day today. Will you take the time to look up, and see the Father?
'If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." Jeremiah 29:13
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