Hospital Window
A great note for all to read it will take just 37 seconds to read
this and change your thinking
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One
man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help
drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked
for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes,
their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been
on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit
up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he
could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods
where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and
color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans
played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers
walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city
skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail,
the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the
picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade
passing by.
Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it.
In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with
descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths
only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died
peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital
attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could
be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his
first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have
compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things
outside this window
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see
the wall.
She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
How do you view life?
There are 3 views in this piece:
1) Blindness
2) A Wall
3) Possibility
While most of us don't suffer from literal blindness (there are none so blind as the person who won't see), perhaps many of us get stuck at the wall / circumstances in our life. All we can see is the wall. We feel stuck... and simply accept it as the way things are.
But to truly live, one needs to see with the eyes of faith and possibility. Saul and all Israel saw a giant of a man named Goliath... but David saw a big God and recognized Goliaths size as an opportunity to not miss!
(1 Sam 17)How do you view life?
in 2 Kings 6 Elisha's servant freaked out when he saw the army surrounding Dothan... but Elisha saw with a different set of eyes...
(2Ki 6:17) Then Elisha prayed, "O GOD, open his eyes and let him see." The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha!How do you view life?
Perhaps your obstacles / walls in your life are truly just God opportunities.
Why not take a moment right now to ask God to open your eyes...
Thanks again to Ellen Hannah from Eastside Church in Hamilton for sending me that great piece : )
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