Waiting To Recover
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“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1
As I write this blog, I am sitting in the waiting area of the hospital surgical unit. I am waiting for the completion of a surgery. I look around the area and see others waiting on loved ones. One person is talking on her phone. One guy is working on his laptop. Another person is taking a nap I think because his eyes are closed. Another is talking with a hospital staff member. I look outside and for the first time this week the sun is shining, and the sky is a brilliant blue. It looks inviting, but I sit inside waiting. I am waiting for a completion of surgery and for the surgeon to tell me “All went well.”
I remember sitting in waiting rooms many times with family, church members’ families, and with friends. We try to focus on something other than the reason we are all here. Sometimes the waiting is for a routine procedure that is not life threatening and other times the waiting is filled with fear of the outcome.
Our bodies break, have pain, do not always function as we desire, need healing, have diseases, and have parts that need repaired. That is the reason for surgery. We wait for our bodies to heal and recover. Everyone who completes surgery goes into a recovery room for a period of time. It is a time to come out of the anesthesia, control any pain from the procedure, and prepare for the next step.
So, as I wait, I ponder how the waiting, surgery, and recovery relate to life. To wait is to stay where one is until something else happens. This is not an easy task because we tend to be impatient and desire to know the future and what is going to happen next. To wait for God’s direction and answer is even more difficult because God’s timing is different than ours. It always seems slower. Patience involves trust. Just as we wait for surgery, we trust the surgeon who will be operating and wait for his skilled hands to provide the needed help to our bodies. When life has changed, we do not know what to do next because the familiar is gone, and life will never go back to the way we knew it. So, we wait for direction. We wait in trust that God will provide what is needed.
The surgery reminds me of what has changed. Sometimes the loss of a loved one feels like surgery – they have been removed from our physical lives. Our hearts are broken, and it feels like we will never recover from the loss. I believe God is the Great Healer, and His healing and surgery comes from His Spirit which we cannot see or touch. His Spirit is within us healing us from inside and giving comfort and peace.
Then comes the recovery which is waking up to the reality of life as we have it now. There have been changes, and in recovery we experience the pain of these changes. To recover is to return to a normal state but nothing feels normal again after loss. Another way of understanding recovery is to regain strength, purpose, and hope.
We never get over the loss of a loved one, but we accept the loss and affirm the love and memories are the foundation that helps us take steps into this different life. We need time to rest, recover, and refresh. It may seem like we are doing nothing during recovery time but inside the heart and soul God is working His miracle of healing and hope. You may not see it nor feel it, but one day you begin to realize you are focusing on living and seeking to find joy again. Just like in the physical recovery from surgery, you may not see your healing, but it is happening within your body. You begin to be more active without pain.
Give yourself time to recover. Be willing to wait. Allow God to bring healing within your soul. Recovery and healing are happening. Give yourself grace. Give yourself some rest. Have some moments you do nothing so that the healing power of God’s Spirit can work within you. Take it slow but keep taking steps into living.
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