Tuesday 9/22/09 - "HOLD ME, QUIET ME"

"HOLD ME, QUIET ME"

My mind does not want to be tamed enough to write a blog tonight, but I do want to post. I'll just jot down some thoughts I'm having.

Today I received the following in an email from the Chaplain of our hospital where I volunteer as a pastoral care assistant:

Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.

I take the third step and turn my life over to God every morning and ask for God's guidance, support, and comfort. I ask God to silence my mouth if I am in any doubt as to what would be best to say. God helps me remain quiet through guidance I have received in Al-Anon. I can delay what comes out of my mouth by choosing to "wait a week and a day" before responding. I can also wait to speak until I know what I want to say, I will mean what I say, and I'll say it without being mean.

I am filled with happiness that I had the opportunity to use the healing touch to relieve pain in the legs and hips of a patient in the hospital. When I entered his room, he was grimacing, visibly in pain, and trying to get into a less painful position in the hospital bed. I sat, we talked, and then I asked if I might lay my hands on the blanket that covered his legs and the moment I placed my hands on the covers, he said he felt heat. His legs were feeling better by the time I left.

Another lady with many health problems had been admitted for a lacerated hand. Because of her other conditions, they wanted to observe her for a day. I asked if I could gently hold her bandaged hand, she agreed, and she too felt the warmth of the healing touch. I say, "Thank you God".

Daughter is coming tomorrow. Pray for all of us. Pray for God's will in all things.

There have been recent successes in the lives of some of my sponsees. I am watching the hearts and spiritual eyes of some of them opening just like flowers to the sun. The truth is setting them free as we work the 12 steps together. This is watching a miracle happen.

I pray for that peace that passes all understanding - that God will place it in your minds, bodies, and spirits.

Prayer Girl

Tuesday, 5/19/09 - "COUPLES - THE THEME OF THE DAY"

"COUPLES -
THE THEME OF THE DAY"

It's Monday and I was at my hospital pastoral care assistant volunteering gig. I wasn't looking for a theme - it never entered my mind. Yet, at the end of my shift when I was signing out for the day, I saw the chaplain. It came to me as I was saying hello to him that there had been a theme for that day and I told him about it.

Today's theme was "couples".

One of my first visits was to a room in the Progressive Care Unit. The names on my sheet were a female and male name with the same last name. As I entered the room, it was obvious that they were husband and wife. Neither were awake or conscious - I'm not sure which. I said a silent prayer over them. It looked like they had been in an auto accident. That was a haunting image. I continue to pray for them.

Near the end of my day I randomly picked someone to visit who had been in the hospital only one day. This gentleman seemed to be a little confused, but was able to talk with me. He spoke very quietly and very little, but at one point he said his wife was in the hospital too. I quickly scanned all my sheets for the same last name and found her on the same floor, but in the north tower. He was in the south tower. I told him I would try to visit her and asked what message he would like me to give her. He said to ask her to get well quickly. I did find his wife just before I left for the day and did convey his message to her. These were two visits that touched my heart.

On my way home, I realized there was another "couple" visit. I went to see a woman and her husband was there. The three of us talked. She was midway through chemo treatments for lung cancer when she became dehydrated and ended up in the hospital. Her husband explained that even with treatment there was very little hope for recovery for any significant time. The two of them were facing a very tough decision. They have a doctor they both really trust and are going to talk everything over with this doctor. We prayed together and I knew that God was present.

"Couples" - for me this was a beautiful, touching theme - a wonderful gift from God to me. I don't deserve this, but am ever grateful for God's grace in my life.

Prayer Girl

Tuesday, 3/17/09 - "BLUE - CODE BLUE - THINGS NEW"

(Weird picture? Weird day!)

"BLUE - CODE BLUE -
THINGS NEW"

Yesterday was GREEN - Today is BLUE - And many things NEW happened today.

• BLUE is my favorite color. My eyes change color and sometimes they are blue.

• Some NEW things happened today on the volunteer job. I was finished for the day and preparing to return to the area where I sign in and out when I heard "CODE BLUE" in Angioplasty announced several times over the hospital-wide intercom. Several minutes later my pager went off. I was sent ASAP to the Angioplasty area where someone's heart had stopped. Luckily, by the time I arrived, they had successfully brought the patient, a lady, back. The room was overflowing with people - doctors, nurses, many others. I saw a gentleman in the hallway and asked him if he was related. It was the lady's husband. He was pretty 'shook up', but all is well that .....you know how it goes.

• Another 'first' today was an emergency page to ICU. Someone was dying and it was happening quickly. I had only minutes to get there. As I entered the area, the nurse ushered me to the room where three men were around the bed of a lady who was probably wife and mother to the three. She was close to being gone as I entered and they asked if I could give her last rites. (LORD HELP ME!) I had zero time to compute what to say or do so I said I couldn't do that, but I could pray which I did. Later, back in the office, the Chaplain was there and said in a circumstance like that I could refer to the "Emergency Minister" pamphlet I have. (Lots still for me to learn.) Still having some of that perfectionism inside me, I was less than pleased with my performance in this situation. But as I thought more about it, I realized I had placed my whole day in God's hands before I even arrived at the hospital, I did the best I could all day, and I know God was in that ICU room. I allow my mind to rest in the knowledge that whatever I managed to pray came from God and was a comfort for those men who obviously loved this lady greatly. GOD HELP ME! I FELT SO INADEQUATE!
  

• I worked 8:30 - 12:30. I was invited to attend a graduation ceremony for 5 people at 10 am. They were graduating from a 22 week intensive 'Pastoral Care Course'. All graduates were either functioning as or planning to be ministers or chaplains. One graduate had a motorcycle ministry, out-reaching to bikers.

• I'm not feeling 'blue' - I'm feeling good about the day. What a day it was!

• Bodies of water are blue. Water is a symbol of spirituality. Ergo, in my opinion, blue is a spiritual color.

God bless you bloggers,
Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: By race_30)