Desperation Prayer
Another day another group of patients. Or so I thought. I want you all to understand this story is being posted with verbal permission by both the patient and the patients daughter. Gotta make sure I was not violating HIPAA rules.
Anyway sometimes you go week by week at work and you keep doing your job and not much touches you or helps you remember why you are doing this job. This week I was reminded why I do this job. I was caring for a patient with End Stage Liver Disease. For you non-medical affiliated individuals that means she is dying of liver failure. I know you medical people want to know why, but too bad. Anyway, the night I received this patient I learned she was not a candidate for a transplant. This means she will die of her liver disease and there is nothing we can much do to help her.
This is not a story about the patient but the daughter. On entering I noticed Mrs. Chang* sleeping in bed and the daughter Ms. Chang sitting on the couch reading her Bible. When returning later on, the daughter was still reading her Bible. The family was friendly and I spent some time talking with them. Very kind and seemingly very positive considering the negative diagnosis.
That morning when I was making my final rounds, I stepped into the room to give Mrs. Chang some medication. The room was dark and the patient was no where to be seen. Then something stopped me. The daughter was kneeling on the hard cold floor by the couch praying. When I mean praying I mean PRAYING. She was praying in a language of China. What was amazing about it was her voice. She had a voice of desperation and utter helplessness. It seemed she was casting all of her cares upon Christ and relying solely on Him. It ripped at my heart and made my eyes a little teary.
I do not pray with that kind of passion and it is high time I learn. That woman touched me so much. She was discharged today and I probably won't see either of them until heaven. Yet, what a touching example of prayer that I will never forget.
*Names have been changed to protect the individuals
Anyway sometimes you go week by week at work and you keep doing your job and not much touches you or helps you remember why you are doing this job. This week I was reminded why I do this job. I was caring for a patient with End Stage Liver Disease. For you non-medical affiliated individuals that means she is dying of liver failure. I know you medical people want to know why, but too bad. Anyway, the night I received this patient I learned she was not a candidate for a transplant. This means she will die of her liver disease and there is nothing we can much do to help her.
This is not a story about the patient but the daughter. On entering I noticed Mrs. Chang* sleeping in bed and the daughter Ms. Chang sitting on the couch reading her Bible. When returning later on, the daughter was still reading her Bible. The family was friendly and I spent some time talking with them. Very kind and seemingly very positive considering the negative diagnosis.
That morning when I was making my final rounds, I stepped into the room to give Mrs. Chang some medication. The room was dark and the patient was no where to be seen. Then something stopped me. The daughter was kneeling on the hard cold floor by the couch praying. When I mean praying I mean PRAYING. She was praying in a language of China. What was amazing about it was her voice. She had a voice of desperation and utter helplessness. It seemed she was casting all of her cares upon Christ and relying solely on Him. It ripped at my heart and made my eyes a little teary.
I do not pray with that kind of passion and it is high time I learn. That woman touched me so much. She was discharged today and I probably won't see either of them until heaven. Yet, what a touching example of prayer that I will never forget.
*Names have been changed to protect the individuals
posted by Noellebellz at 6:39 PM
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