This month I thought I would take some time to introduce you to one of the people I have been ministering to at St. John’s over the past months. For privacy’s sake, I will call her Amy. I first met Amy about three or four months ago when she first came into the hospital. She was suffering from a skin infection that had caused massive rash and blister outbreaks all over her body. As a result, she was put into one of our isolation rooms and I had to put on a gown, mask and gloves every time I visited with her. As we talked that first time I could see that her skin condition was not only isolating her from the physical touch of staff people, but from family visits as well. She was a single mom and her daughter was now being cared for by her parents and none of them wanted to visit with her here. I do not remember much about that first visit, but I do remember reminding her that though her friends and family may be staying away from her, God was near her and God loved her. I reminded her that God knew her even better than they did, even better than she knew herself. God knew her inside and out, God knew her good side and bad side. God knew it all and loved her still.
Then a month or so later, she came again. Her infection had returned and was worse still. Every time I went to visit her she was either resting or being cared for by staff. Still, I felt compelled to share with her some scripture. I knew from our last visit together that she was Catholic; so sharing scripture would be acceptable. The scripture I chose was the same one I shared with you a couple months ago, the one in 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 where Paul speaks of us as jars of clay. I included it in a note where I encouraged her that though she was going through a painful process, God was with her through it and was molding and shaping her, in the midst of it, into the woman God created her to be. When I visited her to drop it off, I found her asleep, so I simply put it on her bedside table and trusted God would do the rest.
And that God did. This past weekend, I found that she was in the hospital once again and made time to visit with her. She mentioned that she had read and been touched by my note. She also expressed how her family was still staying away from her and as she was speaking I kept on being reminded of the woman with the continual menstrual flow in chapter 5 of Mark’s Gospel. So, I shared that scripture her as well. We closed our time together again in prayer and she asked if her daughter could meet me. I replied that if she came with Amy the next time she checked in here, I would be happy to meet her.
Throughout the whole care relationship, I have sensed that Amy is seeking God. In the same way, I know God is seeking her, for that was God’s promise in chapter 7 of Matthew’s Gospel. As she draws close to God, so God will draw close to her. God will work in her heart and make God’s love manifest in her life as she draws close to God and allows God to do so. So it is with each of us as well.
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