Whose Day Is It Anyway?

BY MARK

I like to be busy!  I like to serve and I like to physically “do stuff”.  It is tough for me to sit and do paperwork for a whole day as that does not qualify (in my mind) as physical activity.  Oh, sure; give me a good football or basketball game to watch and I can be content for a few hours but in general I like to serve by doing things.  I am really not a hyper person but find contentment by doing anything from performing a minor surgery to seeing patients to carrying cement blocks to unloading a semi to cleaning toilets.  So, GOD IS HAVING FUN WITH ME as he is teaching me to “…be still and know that He is God.”  

Take today, for example.  We had planned to get up early, take the nearly 2 hour drive to our clinic, see patients, have some meetings and then drive back to our place so Kathy could see a student and get a language lesson.  That WAS our plan!  God, however, had other plans.  The call came early that the roads were not safe for us to travel to our clinic. Wait a minute!! You don’t understand!  I have patients scheduled, I have been called to this country to serve and this is my agenda, so I need to go to the clinic.  (Did you notice how many times I used the word “I” or “my” in the last sentence??)  This change is not acceptable as I already had all of this on my calendar.  Now God, open the road because Kathy and I are going to the clinic today.  

Well, that didn’t happen.  So here I am at our place in Port au Prince, doing paperwork.  I am actually getting a lot done but this really is not my favorite type of day.  So far, I have scheduled a continuing education course in the US to keep my license; have connected with supporters; have transferred money to support the hospital; have talked to the folks near the hospital several times; responded to emails and posted on Facebook.  GOD IS HAVING FUN WITH ME today!  He knew I needed a day like this to do these tasks.  He is teaching me that I need to “chill” and let Him set the agenda.  I am learning….slowly!!  I hope that as I continue to learn, that my agenda has less of me and more of Him.  I hope He is patient with me... but if you will excuse me for a moment, I am going to do some dishes, clean a toilet and get ready to see patients tomorrow… maybe.