A Visit to the Office

It has been seven months since I left work on medical leave. When I left on leave I hoped beyond hope that I would be able to return to work before long. This wasn’t in God’s plan for me. Because of my illness I took an early retirement in May of this year and have since been working toward adapting to my new lifestyle.

I worked at the hospital for ten years and I must say that it had been the most rewarding ten years of my nearly 40 year career. The hospital is a great environment to work in and the professionalism of the people made going to work everyday a joy. I felt as though I was able to contribute, just a little, to the overall success of the hospital and I thank God for providing me that experience. My coworkers are wonderful people whose friendships I will always cherish.

I had a head MRI scheduled for this morning as a follow-up to my brain surgery a couple of months ago and decided that, as long as I was going to be at the hospital anyway for the test, I would drop by the office and see the folks.

I had not returned to visit my old office since I left seven months ago and I must admit that I had been intentionally putting the visit off until today. I’m not exactly sure why I resisted the visit but I believe that I feared an emotional backlash. I have tried very hard over the past months to put my old life behind me and push forward with the new and I believe that I have just about completed the transition. My fear was that by visiting my office and seeing the “gang” I would slip back and loose some of the ground I had gained. But I put my faith in God knowing that He would be with me and I went to the office.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It was a wonderful visit. It was great to see the folks and catch-up a bit on what’s going on in their lives. In many respects it was as though I had never left (of course with the exception that I didn’t have to worry about getting work done). Yes, the visit was emotional. I really miss not only the work but also the daily fellowship with my coworkers. Will the visit make my transition harder? No. My fear was unfounded. I believe reconnecting with my coworkers and seeing the work environment was exactly what I needed to remind me that, even though my work-a-day life is behind me, that part of my life played a role in shaping who I am today. Ignoring it or resisting it would be like denying part of who I am.

1 Corinthians 10:13 -- No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

Dear Lord, thank you for the ten years I worked at the hospital. It provided a great way to end my career and allowed me to make lasting friendships. I pray that the time I spent working there contributed to the success of the hospital and, as such, helped to profit Your kingdom.


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