My cell phone made the sound that lets me know I have a message. As I listened I found myself hoping I was misunderstanding what I was hearing. But, as I listened again there was no denying that my friend was on her way to the ER of the heart hospital.

She had gone to Urgent Care because of dizziness and the work up there pointed to a heart problem. In the message she told me not to come, but as her reality settled into my mind my hands were reaching for my car keys.

I found her in an ER room looking healthy but with a heart monitor recording her rhythm, IV dripping and oxygen flowing. She had already had a CT scan and was waiting for results. Her daughter, who is a young adult, was sitting with her.

After a brief “update” and a prayer I asked her where her husband was. Her daughter said he was at home. She said she had called him and he said he would probably take a shower. Trying to hang this in the best possible “light,” I reminded the daughter that cell phones don’t work in ER rooms so he probably had tired to call.

My friend then, in a tone of deep confidence and intimate knowing said, “It’s not because he doesn’t care.”

Thankfully, the test results of this ER work up revealed good news. No heart issues were found. But I left, having been challenged by my friend’s trust in her husband’s care and her acceptance of his not showing up. She knows who he is and she doesn’t measure his caring by prescribed expectations.

I want to honor God in the same way my friend honored her husband.

God may not be meeting my expectations of what I want Him to do today.  But this I know: IT IS NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN’T CARE!!

God grant me the grace to rest in this truth.