why did the chocolate chip cookie go to the doctor? because he was feeling crummy.

that's all that asher remembered before he dozed off and skipped into lala land while the doctor removed his adenoid.

ben and i took turns sitting with him in the recovery room, patiently waiting for him to wake up. a sweet nurse stayed by his side for a better part of an hour taking notes and ready to take care of him when he woke. ben was walking around outside with kavita for she was uncomfortable in the recovery room.

i had nothing to do but wait. asher rested peacefully. so when the nurse looked up, why not engage in some conversation?

"how long have you worked here as a nurse?" i asked.

"just a few weeks. i just moved here from the east coast." from her demeanor, she seemed happy to talk. so i kept going.

"i can remember what that feels like. we moved here 6 years ago and it was hard."

the nurse shared how close she was to her family back east and that a relationship had brought her to the city.

"we moved far away from family too. but we've made a new family here."

she thought i was talking about our patient! he was made in alabama! the nurse smiled and checked on asher's vital signs.

"we do have four kids and that makes for a big family, especially here, but i'm talking about our church family."

the nurse melted. she found comfort in releasing her next words.

"i was a part of a special church community back east." she paused. "i haven't found one here."

it was with great joy that i told her about my family. how we gather on sundays and meet during the week in small groups. how we take meals to each other and spend holidays in the city when we can't get back home.

"you should come some time." we both looked at our patient.

asher started stirring. his head was facing me. as he opened his eyes, he slowly spoke, "mom, this sunday."

"tell her to come this sunday. to see me get baptized."

i moved my gaze from asher to the nurse. she had heard every muttered word.

i had forgotten. the surgery was forefront on my mind. asher had made his very own decision to follow Jesus and this upcoming Sunday he was being baptized.

"i'd love to come, asher," she told him.

he did his best to smile with a very sore throat. ben and kavita walked back into the room.

"i'm rekha."

"i'm shauna. this is ben and our daughter, kavita."

asher's first words to ben was about the invitation he had given to rekha, his recovery nurse.

the adenoid surgery was secondary.

guess who came up to the front of the room after asher's baptism that Sunday?

rekha and her boyfriend.

and guess who is teaching asher's class on Sundays?

rekha.

and guess who is always bringing friends, family, and colleagues to church with her?

she sure is! rekha, the recovery nurse!

not all conversations lead to people coming to church. not all of them are supposed to. but all conversations can lead to us stepping into their world and them stepping into ours. it's just quite miraculous when the worlds collide and Jesus gets all the credit. #onlyGod