Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. – Proverbs 14:29
Often, it’s hard to show grace. In January, between the girls and I, we had several doctor appointments. We are all aware of long wait times in the waiting rooms. Sometimes we need to reschedule due to conflicts or sickness, and trying to get a hold of someone in the office can be equally as frustrating.
Throughout the course of two weeks, I made multiple calls to several doctors’ offices about scheduling appointments for various things. I probably called five different people, three times each. Nobody returned my calls. I was extremely frustrated and honestly couldn’t understand why it was so hard to simply call me back.
One day, I was finally able to reach one of those office workers! Although I was annoyed, I chose to give grace and show kindness. During our conversation, this woman told me how she just got over Covid and had a terrible experience. I listened and sympathized. She went on to share more details and then thanked me for listening, as well as being understanding. It really meant a lot to her. She told me she had several more calls to make that day and the recipients she had already spoken to weren’t so gracious.
I don’t know how much detail she was able to go into with the other people, but I learned that she had a condition that causes blood clots and, as we know, that can be a very serious condition when mixed with Covid.
We simply have no idea what somebody else is going through. When we choose to respond with grace and understanding, we can change the trajectory of someone else’s day. How have you expressed or experienced the grace of God in your life?
Jamie Williamson, Edmond Campus Director of Administration
