How much longer....

At some point during my transformation, I unwittingly prayed for patience.  In my mind, I imagined God sending the patience fairy down to me that very night while I was sleeping. He/She would sprinkle me with patient dust, maybe leave me some candies in various places, do a load of whites and get back to his/her route.  I would wake up the next morning, get stopped by trains, have to use a pharmacy, maybe even go to the DMV and none of those things would phase me because my patience dust was in tact.  My advice for you is simple: DO NOT pray for patience unless you're ready for God to give you opportunities to acquire patience. There are no fairies. There is no dust. No candies. Just things that tick you off. 

I went to the hospital at 7a.m. for my portacath (the thing i'll be getting chemo through) to be placed inside my chest.  8a.m. I'm called from the waiting room and put into a semi-private hospital room, given a gown and an I.V. and told they would be coming to get me shortly for my procedure.  At 10a.m. I was told that it would be within the hour.  Now, keep in mind, I hadn't been allowed to eat of drink anything since midnight the night before because I would be put  to sleep during the procedure.  11 comes and goes. As does noon. By 1:00 I was ready to snatch out my I.V and run down the hall, gown blowing in the wind, the staff eating my dust. I was so frustrated.  Finally, at 2p.m, 7 hours after my arrival, I was taken back to (get this) another holding area where I waited another 30 minutes being prepped and whatnot.  Now, I'm still trying to hold it together but I won't lie, I was not a happy camper. I was unpleasant to say the least.  The nurse in the holding area and I started talking about what could have POSSIBLY happen that would've taken as long as it did.  A man went into surgery and was going to have his cancer removed.  However, when they opened him up, it was everywhere.  I'm not sure if they were able to do anything for him or if they sewed him up and referred him to hospice. I do know at that moment, I was thankful that my biggest problem that day was waiting.  And waiting and waiting.  12 hours after I arrived at the hospital, I arrived home.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "Give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ." My surgery went perfectly, I'll start chemo in a week. I have a long way to go in the patience department. But I'm thankful. 

PEACE