Today (Aug. 5) was another “one of those days” that didn’t belong to me or turn out the way I had thought it would be coming off a good weekend of weather and relaxation with friends which also included a quiet afternoon all to myself. As I settled into a cozy Sunday evening enjoying a cool breeze through the open window and a quick browse through my Facebook contacts I found myself in an open chat with a dear friend relaying the details of a medical emergency involving her daughter, who by the way, is the same age as our daughter. Thus, we are kindred spirits–we are mommas who share a deep love for our girls.

I don’t need or want to go into what those medical details are, nonetheless they are serious and with no hesitation my husband and I decided that in the morning (today–Monday) we would make the drive to the University of Michigan Hospital to visit Kelli, her husband, and our good friends and offer our support, encouragement, and above all else–an opportunity to pray with them instead of just FOR them.

Many of you (my dear readers) know that I live in a small rural community. Our tallest building is maybe three floors. And although I grew up in Saginaw our tallest building in the downtown was 12 floors. So, when we made our exit from US 23 to Downtown Ann Arbor, turning in the direction of the hospital complex I was amazed at the number of buildings connected to one another, several of them looming above the others and all bearing their specialties in big bold letters. I’ve been to Ann Arbor for trips to this same complex but each time has revealed a new aspect of the enormity of this particular healthcare system. At the moment that reality hit me,  I found myself catapulted from my small, quiet rural setting to the busy, hectic and complicated lives of individuals and families walking a hard road.

As we made our way through the parking ramp, each floor, each vehicle and their occupants began telling me an imagined story. I started forming questions in my mind such as ‘I wonder what all these people are doing here?” “Are there this many sick people?” “How many people work here?” The answers didn’t come. They couldn’t because I was an outsider, a bystander on the sidelines of each life.  No–instead on occasion I saw a family with a mentally challenged son make their way to the elevator. He was about 16. Was he born this way? Did an accident rob him of previous good health? Further along were several individuals in wheelchairs making their way to the elevators. Cancer? Therapy? Other needs? I began to think about some of our friends over the years who have been to this hospital for care: a kidney transplant from a daddy to his little girl, one of our son’s best friends who was treated in the burn unit, and others (too many) for cancer treatment.

As we walked the hallways of the hospital we also passed numerous personnel. Each one had a determined, purposeful look and gait to their step. I marveled at how young many of them looked. We also saw people who were in waiting areas…..men and women in wheelchairs….patients being walked down the hallway with a loved one all the while connected to an IV…..a mural of moving scenes that continued to draw me into a world full of questions, blankets of fear, and upside down dreams.

We arrived to our destination. Our visit with Kelli and her family was fantastic. We shared tears and we found laughter in the midst of encouragement and the reality of minor obstacles. We witnessed the love and care offered by complete strangers who are slowly becoming Kelli’s world for the next two weeks.

Later in the early afternoon in God’s great scheme of life, our footsteps crossed the path of a good friend from church who was waiting for a brother to arrive in order that they could make what are called “end of life decisions” for their dear father. In just a few days this beloved, aged man will exchange citizenship from  one place to another and we were able to encourage and give hugs before departing from that brief cross in two paths.

Upon our decision to return home, we took our place in the elevator for the very brief descent to the parking garage. In those very short moments we greeted another passenger, a lone female. One question from myself to her revealed her shocking news–a 57 yr. old boyfriend–formally in good health, diagnosed with pnuemonia had taken a turn for the worse and had been declared brain dead. She would be facing “end of life decisions” on Tuesday morning. All we could say was “We are SO sorry….” as the doors of the elevator opened and we parted our ways, another chance meeting of someone walking on a hard, emotional path leading to a final goodbye.

We left Ann Arbor in a fair amount of silence. We moved along with the busy traffic making our way out of the city to the expressway where we joined other cars and trucks of all sizes headed in our direction. I couldn’t help but think  again “what is their story?” as the hospital complex disappeared from our rear view mirror. I felt a twinge of sadness that with such ease I was able to be returning to the comforts of home, unencumbered and quite healthy knowing my biggest decision for the ensuing evening was choosing what to prepare for dinner. A wave of gratitude swept over me and blanketed me with humility and appreciation for living in good circumstances.

I’ve said final goodbyes to both parents and a mother-in-law. Those are bittersweet memories that I cherish, but having spent but a few hours in one our nation’s most prestigious hospitals still reminded me that life is fragile, it is precious and it is temporary. For that reason I am  joyfully embracing the Truth that my residency here on earth is not permanent. I feel myself dancing inside as I  focus and meditate on the promise that in John 15: 18-19 Jesus states that “I don’t belong to the world….” I belong to a great Shepherd Who is with me every step that I take. My prayer is that Mark can hear those Footsteps as he and his brother say goodbye to their dad…that the echo of His Footsteps bring comfort to the woman in the elevator reeling in unbelief and shock…..that the staff at ALL hospitals seek to walk in His Footsteps as they care for every man, woman, and child….and that everyone I meet has a “chance encounter” on a winding path of life’s experiences  with the One True Living God Who IS “our World”.