I’m in a room full of people…waiting. We’re all waiting. Some are waiting to be called back to be put under anesthesia and then cut open and invaded by doctors and tools. Others – like me – are waiting on loved ones. Surgery is a weird thought.

Sitting in this room with all these people causes me to think. There is a family close to me – I can’t help but hear their conversation. They are waiting on a loved one to come out of surgery. Apparently life has been pretty hard for them lately – at least physically.

Our human bodies are dying. We are weak and frail. Coughing, limping, cramping, itching, dying. Not to be morbid; just real. And it is challenging me to get serious about taking care of my frail body. I see people who don’t take care of themselves, then wonder how they landed in a hospital room.

As a pastor, I’ve spent time in hospital rooms. But it’s always someone else lying on the bed; not me or my loved one. So I don’t always feel the full reality of the situation. I can visit, then leave.

All this just reminds me of a few things:

• today there are many people sick, hurting, suffering from some accident or illness; living with a family member who is hurting – people need hope and people need someone to care
• our bodies are weak – take care of yours!
• we are only around for a short time – make the most of it