hospitals

“In time of sickness the soul collects itself anew.”

Latin Proverb

Today I sit in a hospital room. The day seems long, the hours crawl by. Time is measured by meals…breakfast, lunch and dinner. The time in between seems to float. There are doctors to listen to (all with a different angle on the situation, all with different solutions). There are nurses to interact with. Other patients to acknowledge. Bedpans to empty. Sheets to straighten. Pillows to adjust. Decisions to be made. One is thankful for a trip to the bathroom as it provides different scenery.

But, the hospital provides a remarkable backdrop for spiritual conversations. Deep questions. Where is God in the midst of pain? Is this punishment for things done earlier in life, she asks? And, how am I to respond to this situation – as a daughter observing her mom going through a process that is painful, frightening, uncertain and wrought with decisions, each with serious consequences? Even deep, meaningful questions like is this Saturday or Sunday?

This is the stuff life is made of – real, gritty, honest stuff. And God is here with me, with her, with us, right in the middle of blood transfusions and hospital beef stew, sock puppets (don’t ask) and heart monitors, fashionable hospital gowns and dangerous medications that she can’t live with and she can’t live without.
Yep – this is the stuff life is made and – He is here.

Grace and peace,
deb