The Missed Appointment

For the first time, probably ever, I missed a medical appointment. Not on purpose, of course, or because of illness or anything like that, but because I added it to my calendar incorrectly. And it was an important one, not a simple doctor’s appointment. Ironically, it was for a MRI of my BRAIN. While I’m smiling right now at the irony of it, I wasn’t amused with myself when I realized the mistake after I got the notification of my “no show” appointment this morning.

When I scheduled the MRI over the phone, the scheduler and myself both said Friday. However, it got scheduled for Thursday the same week. Even though the reminder came in a text and notification, I ignored the date because I KNEW when my appointment was. Plus, I had already confirmed it and added it to my calendar. If you know me well, you know that I live by my calendar and to-do lists! But this time, my calendar tripped me up (and, apparently, my brain, too!).

Isn’t this how life is sometimes? We are sure of something, and then out of nowhere, we’re hit with the reality that we are still clueless about some of the details. While keeping appointments organized on our calendars is important, they can sometimes fail us because we rely too heavily on organization rather than seeing what’s right in front of us. We can miss some of the most basic things when we’re not fully paying attention.

This missed appointment made me pause and reflect that I do this to God, probably more than I care to admit. When I read my Bible, how much do I gloss over the words because I’ve read them before? When I pray, how often do I pray without thinking of WHO I’m actually praying to? When I feel like God is telling me to do something, how many times have I ignored it or cast it aside, thinking it was coming from my own thoughts? And when I make the priority to spend my time doing a hundred other things besides spending them on deepening my relationship with God, how many appointments have I missed with Him?

I don’t know about you, but I want to keep these questions at the forefront of my mind as I go about my every day.

I want to watch God reveal new things to me because I spent a few extra minutes to really absorb what I read in His Word. Instead of just reading it to read it, I study it to understand His Word and to know Him better.

I want to stand in the presence of God in awe, knowing that with every prayer I pray, He can powerfully heal hearts, move mountains, silence the enemies lies, and help me walk a life that shines brightly of Jesus. And even if He doesn’t answer in the ways I hope for, my reverence of Him never diminishes.

I want to listen to Him and be brave enough to take a step when I need to move, even if just a small one. The more I listen, the more confident I become of what I’m hearing from Him and distinguishing it from my own thoughts.

I want to make God the priority above all else. He’s in all the details, so I can include Him in everything I do. When I do this, I’m less likely to miss the unexpected moments with Him that pop up throughout the day.

Thankfully, when I called earlier about my missed appointment, the scheduler on the other side of the phone met me with kindness and offered me grace. He rescheduled the MRI to a date on the calendar next week when I can show up for it. This time, I will pay attention to every little detail.

God does the same for me. He offers grace and asks me to show up again and again, though no appointment is required. I can look beyond the tasks of the day or the things on my calendar and find Him in every detail, no matter how small or mundane. I simply have to pay attention.

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." Psalms 37:23, NLT

xo