ER and Home

While it is one of my favorite shows, I have discovered that in Amarillo, Texas it not one of the best places to be. SS and I arrived at the ER at 8:00 p.m. They took her vitals and blood and we were sent back out to the waiting room by 8:35 p.m. with instructions not to eat or drink anything until she saw the doctor. 2.5 hours later, we were finally escorted back to an ER room (a hole in the wall with a curtain.) Slightly more comfortable for SS because SHE got a bed, but I was still stuck sitting in a chair. And instead of the quiet murmur of talking and people coming in and out of the ER waiting room, we were entertained by AFV, paid programming and two lovely children in rooms adjacent and across from us. I am so glad I had the privilege of taking in a 17 year old who did not require restraints, tantrums or more than one needle poke. So, long story short, we sat in the ER for 5.5 hours for them to prescribe motrin and another pain killer and suggest that we follow up with another doctor later this week. Lovely way to spend an evening, huh?

Websters Dictionary of Home is: "one's place of residence; a social unit formed by a family living together; the focus of one's domestic attention; a place of origin; an establishment providing residence and care for people with special needs; or the objective in various games". However, I believe that if you can leave someplace for 3 years and return to a group of people that immediatly gathers to welcome you as if you never left, that is home. In so many ways, it felt like Jason and I had never left. There was no weirdness in conversations, no strange lulls and everyone was truly happy to see us and each other. It was such a wonderful weekend. I can not thank my friends enough for giving us that wonderful gift. I think we may have had a small taste of heaven this weekend. Now, don't get me wrong, it was very obvious we had been gone so long. People who were newlyweds had babies I had never seen in person and children who were small are now growing up faster than I think should be allowed. But even they were very welcoming and open to us, almost as if we never left. It reminded me again why Jason and I got into this work to begin with-we want to provide that for the kids we minister to. To my friends in OKC, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this weekend. I look forward to many more!!!