We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.

New postings on an old blog should be a big deal. They should be a “Ta..dah!” moment. But I am so, not a special occasion person. Beginnings and endings leave me scurrying for a place to hide until all the “to do” is done.

I am more of a “drop me in the middle” type person. Then we pretend all the special stuff happened so long ago no one can remember.

Last week a patient of mine came to my door as a Jehovah’s Witness representative. My husband answered the door. My husband does not have the ability to know how to shorten their stay. He is pleasant, reads all their literature and never says no to any future visits.

I really find the aggressive religious outreach very annoying. It doesn’t matter whether it is the Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon’s or any other group. They are pushing their beliefs into my home. So I am not very welcoming when they come to my door. But since this particular encounter involved a patient of mine, I would have probably had to be nicer than usual.

When the patient found out (from my husband of course) that it was my home she was overjoyed. So overjoyed, in fact, that it made her religious zeal that much more abundant. She left an extra helping of her religious reading just for me. Oh joy. You know the literature with the bright primary colors that looks like a kiddie comic.

She also mentioned to my husband she had an upcoming appointment in my office.

This poses a problem. She will obviously mention during her visit coming to my house and meeting my husband. Will she also have expected me to have read all her literature? Will we in fact have a “come to Jesus meeting” in the office?

I don’t go to church. I went when my daughter was growing up. I thought maybe learning about love and compassion was probably a good thing for her, so I did the church thing. The daughter is now in college and I just don’t go anymore. I don’t expect to ever do the church thing again unless daughter get married or someone dies.

You see, I have no religious feeling. Not that I haven’t tried. I've studied many of the world’s religions and in some cases even test drove them. But God and I have never talked. So I have no particular feelings toward religion.

I have had friends suggest that I have made a false idol of man which obstructs my path to the one true lord. Well I do believe in the ability of people to plumb their depths and persevere. However I also realize that people can and often do act like the most despicable of creatures at time. So no false idol there for me.

Many of my friends hold that they have a special relationship with God. I am truly happy for them but not envious at all.

So what shall I say if my patient begins to talk religion? Hopefully she won’t, hopefully she will realize that it would be an inappropriate thing to do on a medical visit.

But if she does, will I be honest about my lack of faith or simply go with the flow and nod my head with all her preaching?

OK…..Here goes……TA…DAH!

There are you happy?