Yesterday morning while preparing for our day at Hopkins I thought I was completely ready for anything I would encounter. Hungry? I have oatmeal to go. Thirsty? I have bottled water. Bored? I have a bag of goodies to occupy a little one for hours. Oops, I should have said potty sooner? I have pull-ups, wipes AND Ziploc baggies to dispose of them without making a big stink! So you can see where I thought I was completely prepared…
The drive was pretty good, a couple of moments when my little monkey got frustrated but she did well all in all. Traffic was heavy, I was running late. I hate running late! Got into the city, police went flying past me on East Madison but I thought nothing of it. We were almost there, I was focused!
Apparently we were among the last of the people allowed in before they barricaded the doors, the lobby was like a ghost town and we didn’t have to wait for an elevator. I should have known something was up…
We were registering out front and there were very few people there. A woman came up to assist us with registration at the kiosk, and another woman walked past and whispered to her, “They said get everyone to the back now, the shooter is still at large.” Immediately I was filled with a peace and these words, “No weapon formed against you will prosper, I AM with you.” We were quickly ushered down a hall into an interior room. There were whispers of snipers and gunmen but I had peace from God. (No one really knew what was happening and you know how that is…)
The back waiting room was jam packed with people who were anxious and distressed. One woman was particularly upset and I assured her that Nelson building was very far from us and that we would be fine. She wanted to know how I could be so calm and that was when I realized, this wasn’t something I had prepared for this morning, but something we should all be in a state of preparation for. I told her about the peace that comes through knowing Christ and having a personal relationship with Him. We were there for a while and then called back to the procedure room and it wasn’t until then that I realized why we were there, to bring peace into a traumatic situation, to tell the reason for my hope and peace and how to know the only One who can offer hope and a future, Jesus Christ.
My little monkey’s appointment went well, much better than I anticipated. She allowed our sweet little doctor to perform the procedure with very little resistance. We were allowed to leave after the procedure and I promised a toy for good behavior so Toys R Us was our next stop. All in all, it was a day of worship, prayer and comfort.
I am ready to comfort others because I’ve been comforted. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” II Corinthians 1:4 NLT
2 comments:
Thanks Ann for sharing. I am glad you were never in harms way, but could help those who needed comforting. Glad the appointment went well, and you had a fun trip to Toys R Us. :-)
Wow. What a blessing you must have been to that office. I prayed for you yesterday and am thankful for God's protection over you!
Hugs,
Catherine
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