Can You Hear Me Now?

Greetings & Happy New Year from Ireland!

Recently Colm, one of our good Irish friends, went to an area hospital for a long-scheduled doctor appointment. He has a family history involving stomach cancer and was headed in for his annual procedure to check on that.

With the Irish healthcare system being what it is, just getting in to see the doctor is quite an ordeal in itself. Not every town has a hospital, and just because there is a hospital doesn’t mean that all services are available there. So to see his “local” doctor, our friend had to take a 1 ½ hour bus ride, and then waited at the hospital for another 1 ½ hours before his name was called. So before the appointment had even started, the exasperation and frustration were already reaching high levels! Imagine then what happened next…

Nurse: Right, then. Colm, we are ready for your hearing test.

Colm: What?!

Nurse: I said – WE ARE READY FOR YOUR HEARING TEST.

Colm: What?!?!

Nurse: I SAID-

Colm: I heard what you said, but I don’t understand what you mean. I’m not here for a hearing test!

After following her back to the waiting room, he was able to look at his chart and see that the hearing test was one that had been requested 2 years earlier as part of his bus driving certification (among other things, Colm drives OM Ireland’s Big Red Bus). So, since he was already there and the doctor wasn’t prepared for the other procedure that Colm had been expecting, he had his hearing tested. As it turns out, the testing they were able to do indicated that he wasn’t able to hear sounds at very high and very low frequencies and they recommended him for further testing. Interestingly, by having a test done that he wasn’t even expecting, a potential problem was identified and now Colm will be able to prepare for the next steps regarding that problem.

After laughing at this story (which you probably really have to hear Colm tell in his Irish accent to appreciate), I realized that sometimes God calls us in for unscheduled hearing tests too. A “spiritual” hearing test, if you will. Often, these tests can come at the end of long journey and/or a lot of waiting – just like when Colm went to the hospital.

Has that ever happened to you before? I know it has happened to me – when I am expecting something to happen, or asking Him for direction, or asking Him to intervene – and then God does something that is not at all what I want. He takes me in a totally different direction than what I was hoping for. In fact, sometimes it seems to me like the situation is made way more complicated, troublesome, tragic, etc. than it needs to be.

But then (usually after the situation has passed) you realize that if God hadn’t brought you through those circumstances in just exactly the way that He chose to, you would have missed the opportunity to learn something important about yourself and your relationship with Him.

It’s God’s way of saying, “I know you were expecting a different procedure, but my chart indicates you are overdue for a hearing test. Now concentrate and pay attention. Can you hear me? Are you listening to me?”

If you haven’t had your hearing checked lately, it may be time to schedule an appointment with the Great Physician. His office is always open, there is no wait, and there’s not even a co-payment to make!

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Matthew 11:15