Nancy Miller Going all in

I glance at the name on the chart before knocking on the exam room door. It’s familiar. She’s become a “frequent flyer”. Always polite. Never complains about the wait. Quiet, offering only brief answers to questions. And once again, she is here with the same complaint. Each visit ends the same way-encouragement to follow up with her primary care provider. Yet here she is again.

When I enter the room, I’m surprised to see she is not alone. The man with her introduces himself and, almost immediately, begins to fill in the gaps she never does. What he shares is startling-details she likely would never have volunteered on her own.

By the end of the visit, he thanks me. He tells me she keeps coming back because we are kind, because she feels safe here.

As I leave the room , I feel humbled.

In simply doing what we do every day, we had reached her in a way I never fully realized. During my training, I’ve come to see that I am very task-and time-oriented. That isn’t necessarily a flaw-but moments like this make me wonder how often the “problem” isn’t really the problem at all, but a symptom of something deeper. How many times have I missed that?

And yet, even without my awareness, God was able to work through me.

As I step into the next season of my life, I want to be more attentive -to what is right in front of me. To listen more closely. To resist the pull of the next task long enough to truly see the person in front of me.