Yesterday was Sunday, and I got called in to work. Usually, I can swing church with my family before heading in, but I was informed that there were ALOT of people needing to be seen at work, and we realized that doing both just wasn't going to be possible. So I was missing church, and it irritated me. I mean - it's the LORD'S day. I'm not SUPPOSED to be working. I'm supposed to be keeping it holy. Like by going to church.
When I got to work, I realized that the five evaluations I had been informed of had morphed into seven. I was going to be here awhile. I dug in and went to work. The second person was someone with severe dementia, who required me to physically and completely lift her to the bedside chair. Once there, we realized I had ripped the IV out of her hand, and she was bleeding profusely all over me. Great. No time to change, I sopped up what blood I could and moved on. The next lady I got out of bed had been incontinent of bowel, and now I had poop all over me, too. Fabulous. The next lady's daughter wouldn't let me touch her until I could recite her medical chart verbatim from memory. I had a headache, my brain wasn't working --- I winged it, but I was HIGHLY irritated. The next guy was demented, told me he had a bullet lodged in his back and felt TERRRRRRRIBLE, and why didn't I just leave him ALONE???? I really don't need this. I'm SUPPOSED TO BE AT CHURCH. I'm supposed to be keeping this day HOLY, and here I am with these people.
So, when I got to the next order - a lady in the ICU who was severely demented - I was really not in a good state of mind. The nurse told me not to get the lady out of bed, but maybe I could try some range of motion with her. Fine. I'll do range of motion. I grabbed a hand and started moving her arm up and down. Then her feet and legs, and finally, made my way around to her right hand. When I got to that side and grabbed her hand to start the exercise, I realized that she was holding my hand back. So I stopped for a second, and looked down at her. She had opened her eyes and was looking at me. And smiling.
"Oh!" I said. "Hello! I'm Monica. I'm just here to help you." And the woman kept eye contact with me, smiled again, and nodded ever so slightly. And squeezed my hand. She was there, in there somewhere. Someone's mom, someone's grandma. She couldn't walk or talk, but she was THERE, in there somewhere.
It was then that I got this overwhelming, uncanny sensation that I was staring into the face of Christ. It was weird. She was just so peaceful, and looking at me so intently and lovingly, with that small smile. Like Christ was holding my hand, and telling me "you are here with Me. I am with these, the least of my brothers. Do unto them as you would do to Me." It just floored me for a minute. And felt instant shame at my previous bad attitude. Christ was HERE. I had no doubt. I was exactly where I was supposed to be at this point in time.
Lord, please help me to recognize You, wherever You may be.
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