The Waiting Room

A doctor hurried into the hospital after being urgently called in for emergency surgery. He changed clothes quickly and went straight to the operating room. In the hallway, he found the boy’s father pacing anxiously.As soon as the father saw the doctor, he shouted, “Why did you take so long to get here? Don’t you know my son’s life is in danger? Where’s your sense of responsibility?” The doctor smiled gently and replied,

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t at the hospital and came as fast as I could. Now please calm down so I can do my job.” “Calm down? What if your son was in there would you calm down?” the father snapped.

The doctor smiled again and said,

“We’ll do our best, with God’s help. You should pray for your son’s recovery.” The father muttered angrily,

“It’s easy to give advice when you’re not the one worried.” The surgery lasted for several hours. Afterwards, the doctor came out, relieved:

“Thank God! Your son is safe.”

Without waiting for a response, he rushed off, saying, “If you have any questions, please ask the nurse.”The father, still upset, said to the nurse, “Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t even wait a few minutes to answer my questions?” The nurse, with tears in her eyes, replied: 

“His son died in a car accident yesterday. He was at the funeral when we called him for your son’s surgery. Now that he’s saved your child, he’s rushing back to finish saying goodbye to his own.”

Food for Thought

You never truly know what someone else is carrying.

Before you judge their actions, consider this:

What if their silence is strength, and their absence is sacrifice?

Compassion first—always.