Is there a Doctor in the house?

I'm not necessarily a movie buff, but I do enjoy a good movie every now and then. One of my personal favorites is Ocean's Eleven...with George Clooney and Brad Pitt. They work very well together on screen. There's one scene in the movie where Brad Pitt's con man character appears dressed in some seventies get up with a wig and says, "Did some one call for a doctor?" And all of a sudden I find myself thinking how dumb can someone be to really think he's a doctor dressed like that?!

The last few months in our house have been full of trips to the doc for our poor Sam. He's currently battling his 4th double ear infection since the end of August. He's on his 4th round of antibiotics and is finally sleeping through the night again. After seeing the doc last Friday with Sam and Drew, I woke up with the nasty stomach bug Saturday morning early. As I lay in bed wishing to vomit everything in me, including the bug, so that I could feel better, I was shaken by the words of Jesus Christ.

Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do.

My mind immediately raced back to my precious Sam. What symptoms was he exhibiting that made me decide he needed to see a doctor? Was he running fever, extremely irritable, more clingy than normal? None of these. He simply had changed his sleep pattern. Call me crazy, I knew something wasn't right. But to most, he didn't appear to be sick. However, I know my child and I know his needs. Where I was visibly sick and it was obvious I needed a doctor, it wasn't so much with Sam.

My heart churned in me...or was it my stomach? Either way, I had come to the point of realization. Christ answered a question not posed to him but to his friends.

Mark 2:15-17

The world we live in offers instant answers to life's problems. As a matter of fact, there are many people out there posing as doctors who have no medical training and even appear to be out of character. However, people flock to them because they do not desire to wait and are unwilling to pay what's required to see a real doctor.

When it comes to spiritual matters, it is no wonder people flock to other religions. When I look at our churches, I often see people, many or few, who'd rather see what the world has to offer than trusting the Great Physician. How can we be the body of Christ and sit in pews judging our neighbors...that, my friend, is what a Pharisee was - religious and judgmental, refusing to see their own sickness because they couldn't stop looking at everyone else's.

Best form of advertisement - word of mouth. I have a doctor who's daily helping me overcome my own self-righteousness and teaching me to Love others - no matter their circumstances, lifestyle, or socioeconomic status. His name is Jesus. He doesn't want you to come to him perfect. He just wants you to come to him as you are...anger, sickness, addictions, self-righteousness and all. Maybe you see your spiritual (or physical) symptoms or maybe you don't. Just come.