Why does it always take something bad to make us adjust our priorities?  Why can’t we just be going along well, content, and joyful, and keep our priorities in line?  As I sit here in the Emergency Room waiting room at Baylor in Dallas, I’m reminded of several recent happenings in which God is teaching me, and reminding me what my priorities should be: 1) God, 2) Family, 3) Others, and everything else comes in a very distant 4th.  Recently , when Jeff Gowesky passed away, I realized that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives.  And living the way I was, i was wasting so many opportunities that God has blessed me with.  I was just being selfish and stupid in how I spent my time.  And why does it take a death to get that through my stubborn head?

Did I mention these chairs in this ER waiting room are probably the most uncomfortable chairs ever made?  It’s like they do not want you sitting in them.  Maybe they’re afraid homeless people will come in off the street and try to rest in them when it’s 30 degrees outside.  Because I believe if they sat in these chairs, they’d probably turn around and head back for the street.  Anyway, I digress.  Recently, I reconnected with a couple friends that I had lost touch with, I realized that I haven’t been very good friends to them.  They’ve had some struggles, and I was AWOL during them.  A friend that isn’t around when you are struggling isn’t much of a friend at all.  Jesus wants us to live in community with each other, sharing each others hurts and joys, helping those that need help, encouraging those that are struggling, strengthening those that are weak, giving to those in need.  And yet, I’ve been using more of the theory, “out of sight - out of mind”.  I’m too busy to keep in touch and check on everybody.  Busy doing what???  You know… STUFF.  All the STUFF that keeps me too busy to be there for my friends.  The STUFF that fits into category #4 above.  A friend recently told me, “When times get rough, you find out who your real friends are.”  That was hard for me to hear, even though they did not intend it to be critical of me.  But I knew the truth.  I’ve been a lousy friend to my friends.  Those situations reminded me about what a real friend is, and I vowed to myself to be a better friend.

Now, as I sit here in the ER waiting room about 4:00 am Tuesday morning, listening to muzak over the intercom, and praying for a friend who fractured his skull in our softball game last night, I’m reminded once again how precious friendship is.  It hurts to see a friend in this condition.  But it’s good to know that I have friends.  Friends that will be there for me when I need them.  Friends that will lift me up, both in prayer and in spirit.  Just like Jesus intended it to happen.