All I Want For Christmas
What do YOU want for Christmas? What’s on the top of your Christmas wish list? My list is very short this year, and, in fact, it consists of one item only. I want it so badly; I’d do just about anything for it. But before I tell you what it is, I’d like to tell you about my most unordinary day yesterday.
My husband has been having trouble with one of his knees—the one he had surgery on five years ago.
I’d check in with him daily.
“How’s the knee feeling?”
His answers would vary:
“Oh, not too bad today.”
“I think it’s getting better.”
“A little stiff.”
Then a couple of weeks ago he announced: “After the first of the year, I think I need to go back to the doctor.”
I decided I’d call the doctor for him and get an appointment for after the new year. Then I started paying closer attention to how he was functioning and walking or should I say NOT walking. It became clear that he was in intense pain. Sunday, I checked in with his staff at church (he’s a children’s pastor) and they all said he’s been limping around, unable to bend his knee.
Okay, that’s it, I’m taking action. I started with a prayer, Lord God please help me get an appointment as soon as possible. Please. Monday would be good. Please Lord, have a cancelled appointment and make one available for my husband. Please.
I knew how busy this doctor was and how hard it was to get an appointment. And yes, I am aware that I sometimes turn into a five-year-old when I talk to God. It’s how I roll.
I called his knee doctor on Sunday and left a message. Then first thing Monday morning, 8:00am to be exact, I called to make an appointment. The only appointment I could get was December 28th. Oh no! This will not do! God, please open an appointment for Mike.
I asked if they ever had cancellations. The nice lady on the phone told me they do from time to time and the best thing to do was to call back throughout the day. Say what? Call back? Turns out, the appointment line was a call center with approximately twenty agents taking calls and making appointments.
From then on I called every ten to twenty minutes hoping for a cancellation. I talked to Jenny, Amber, Isaac, Joseph twice, I remember because my son’s name is Joseph…and the list goes on and on. I may have hit all twenty! I called, prayed, called, prayed. By 2:30pm I was feeling defeated and deflated. I called the doctor’s office directly and left messages…only two. I was tempted to walk into the doctor’s office and ask directly, but decided if I was flagged as crazy that may not go well.
Intermittent with this I was trying to train my oh-so-stupid cocker spaniel to use the new and improved doggie door my husband installed. All day I pushed her outside and left treats on both sides of the doggie door. She. Is. Still. Not. Trained.
I made my last call to the call center just before 5:30pm when they closed. I was not able to get an appointment before December 28th. When Mike got home I felt like I failed. “Honey, I am so sorry. I tried to get you an appointment today, I really tried.”
My husband is way more reasonable than I am. He said, “It’s okay, I’ve gone this long, I can wait until December 28th. God knows the best time for me to have my appointment.”
Yes, he was right. But I was still going to call again in the morning. He was in way too much pain to wait for weeks.
And then this morning on top of my deflated ego I got on the scale and learned I had gained 1.5 pounds—probably from the stress! Could it get any worse? Stupid dog, no appointment until December 28th, and now I’m fat!
Mike left for work and the phone rang. I recognized the number—I have it memorized—it was the doctor’s office. My heart jumped. “Hello.” “Doctor K_____ has open appointments on Friday afternoon due to a cancelled surgery, would you like to take one?” Would I like to take one? Do I want to go to Hawaii?
“Uh, yes, I would love to take one of the appointment times.”
YES!!! THANK YOU, GOD!
When I thanked the gal on the phone profusely explaining I had tried all day yesterday to get a sooner appointment she said, “Oh yes, we know.” So much for not wanting to be labeled crazy. But I don’t care, maybe I am crazy and I got him an appointment this week!
God is good!
And now I’ll tell you what I desperately want for Christmas…
You probably already know…
All I want for Christmas is for my husband to be pain free.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
-Matthew 7:7
