I entered into my seat at the medical center, waiting patiently for my name to be called, sitting right next to the door in anticipation of my upcoming appointment.
I showed up early so I knew there would be a weight in the room. Shortly after getting seated, I was joined steps away by two people I learned were a father,in his elder age, and a daughter who was grown.
As they seated themselves under the sun, they pointed out the brilliance of the light. I looked up and noticed now a feature that had been there all along.
I move on and mind my business on my phone until an argument erupts. I catch wind of their conversation and its surrounding abortion.
He says "I’m pro life"
She says I’m "pro life and pro choice"
The daughter admonishes her father further, saying I asked that we don’t talk about politics.
He relents and moments after, silence slices through the tension. They continue on. He begins to cough violently, revealing the severity of his condition.
They chatter and ponder on all the things that come to mind in a medical center waiting room. Like treadmills and stress tests, like family matters that make no sense to outsiders.
The two are summoned by the staff to their appointed room. They walk past and I smile, as if to say I see you.
The daughter says sorry you had to hear us. I said I heard nothing but love.
The truth is she’s resilient, the truth is, though they disagreed she stood there for her father. Not out of a misguided sense of allegiance, but a deep care for his wellbeing.
As they argued, I listened and prayed. I see why God sent me here, for help.
I’m reminded that God wants us to be available. I’m striving to be better each day about embodying the truth and love of Christ. This family may not understand each other’s viewpoints, but they understand surrender, they know how to release the need to prove a point in the heat of the moment. They know how to, as Common says, let love have the last word.
I believe in choices, I believe in the preservation of life. I believe one of the most powerful choices we can make is to choose the way, the truth, and the life in Jesus Christ - even when it's unpopular and seemingly inconvenient.
I saw the love of Christ embodied in both members of this family. I don't know the full extend fo their beliefs and behaviors, but in this brief interaction I'm reminded that our walk with the LORD is one of surrender beyond comprehension, one of love unconditional, and one that yields life more abundantly (John 10:10).
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