The power of presence

     This past week I've had two of the three clinical rotation days for my intensive training class.  Because I've already worked in elder care, it's not new to be in a medical setting, but one particular patient reminded me why just being there can make all the difference for a person who is suffering.
     Naturally, I won't give details that would violate her privacy. She is recovering from a terrible, large wound, which means that she needs to have the dressing changed and the wound cleaned.  For such a large wound, this is so painful--even the morphine and other medications given to her are not enough to dull the pain as the dressing is removed and replaced. And of course it must be kept as clean and dry as possible to avoid further complications. 
     The entire procedure takes about 40 minutes, an eternity for this dear, brave woman.
     The other day, God gave me the gift of being the extra person on the team changing the dressing.  That meant while the nurse and the nurse assistant were doing this unbearable work, I was available to this precious, suffering woman.  I stood near her, holding her hands, locking eyes, barely saying a word; she knew someone was with her, on her side, longing for it to be over.  I told her to cry or yell if she needed to, squeeze my hand off if she needed to, do whatever she needed to do.  
     It didn't matter what I said, God was there in our midst as I prayed for him to carry her pain and help this poor, precious child of his. She told me later how much it helped to have me there with her, "Like having my mom with me--" her mother has been dead for several years, so this was comforting to her, of course. Thank you, Lord.
     I've been praying for her all week, since I couldn't be there for the follow-up dressing changes she will require for the long time it takes to heal completely.  My heart aches for her, as I know God's heart aches for each of us with our own open wounds. 
      Hers are visible. The ones we carry on our hearts and minds are really no different, are they?  Our wounds need to be cleaned out and we need to make changes. Sometimes, it can be incredibly painful. We suffer greatly for many reasons.
     This lady showed me again the difference one person can make to be simply, quietly, lovingly present for one who is in agony, when that person comes in the Spirit of the Living and Loving God.
P.S. I hope it's clear that I go very humbly forward onto sacred ground.  God poured out his love on this dear child of his, and I was able to touch her in his place. I stand in awe of him.


Now when Job's three friends heard all of this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place...For they had made an appointment to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job 2: 11-13