It's the Mennonites' fault!

"So how are you doing?"  I asked the older gentleman who was seated in the exam room.

"Oh, I'm doing pretty well," he answered.  "Just here for my check up."

"Very good," I said, as I placed my computer on the counter top.  "Anything in particular you want to take care of today?"

He had a couple of things before I moved on to my routine questions.  As I was wrapping up, I mentioned to him "I'd like to get a cholesterol panel and a couple of other blood tests while you're here."

"Now, Doc," he told me.  "I just need you to know that if my cholesterol is up, it's the Mennonites' fault!"

I was taken aback, because I am a Mennonite and I don't recall in any of our secret meetings discussing plans to raise the cholesterol levels of Brookneal.  But maybe I missed that one...

"What?"  I asked.  Not the smartest sounding question, but I guess one that expressed my confusion.

"It's the Mennonites' fault," he repeated.  "See, they had their Fall Festival and my wife came home with three dozen donuts, a pie, and three pumpkin rolls -- and maybe something else.  Anyway, three days later it was all gone and we didn't throw any of it away.  So now you understand."

"Oh," I nodded.  "I'll keep that in mind when I get your results back."

Of course, if his cholesterol was up, it wasn't truly the Fall Festival's fault.  He was the one who had eaten the donuts and pie and he was the one who would deal with the consequences of that.

It is human nature to blame others for our wrong doings.  Ever since in the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake, people have been trying to shift responsibility away from themselves.  Sure, I did something bad, but it wasn't really my fault because someone else encouraged me to do it.

The reality is that blaming others for the things I do is never helpful.  I am in control of the decisions I make and will suffer the consequences for them.  Hopefully as I realize that and by God's grace decide to make better choices in the future, I can have victory.

Even if the Menonites keep selling tasty baked goods at their Fall Festival.

Eviction Day?!

"Tomorrow's the day!"  Elaine said firmly.  After nine of months of carrying our fifth child, it was time for our daughter's "eviction."  Because of Elaine's blood pressure, her doctor thought it best to induce her before it really started to climb.

We went to sleep with this firm knowledge of the future.

Things change the next morning when Elaine called the hospital labor and delivery department.  "I'm sorry," the nurse told her.  "It has been really crazy up here.  We can't do an induction now, but you can check back around noon to see if things have calmed down a little."

At lunch time the message was the same.  "I just don't honestly know how we can do your induction today," the nurse said apologetically.

So we went to bed on the day our little girl was to arrive just the same as we began that day -- an expectant mother and a waiting father.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that they called us to come in for the induction.  As always, I asked myself what was to be learned from this delay.  Maybe an extra thirty-six hours of further lung development were just what our little baby needed to be healthy.  Or maybe God was simply teaching my wife and me a lesson in patience.

Through that evening and till the afternoon of the next day we continued to wait until our beautiful little girl showed herself for the first time.  With her cries, I realized that more than anything I learned again that I wasn't in control, nor the doctors who were charged with my wife and daughter's care. 

God is in control of all of the stops and the starts and even the pauses of our lives.  With all the wonders of technology, He is still in charge.

His timing is perfect and while we may not have wanted to wait, our baby girl was just perfect.  For, even when God seems to be a day late, He is right on time.