I was born and raised in California but am now a happy Tennessee transplant. I work as a PT and enjoy helping people “get better.” I love doing anything outside, traveling, baking, and meeting people!
“God help me to see my patients the way You see them. Help me to be a blessing to someone today.” I mentally ran through this prayer as I walked into the hospital. At that time, I was struggling to identify a sense of purpose in the monotony of my schedule. That afternoon, I went to evaluate a young male patient with a broken leg. As I read through his chart, my heart slowly sank as I discovered, not only was this man a prisoner, but that he also broke his leg as a result of attempting suicide. I remembered my prayer that morning and breathed it before stepping into his room. The patient was polite and quiet. However, as we began to slowly walk, our conversation deepened, and he somewhat ashamedly admitted that he would try to commit suicide once again given the opportunity. My head spun with shocked sympathy for him, and I delicately asked him to explain why. He responded dejectedly: “I’m just going to get sent back to prison, and my life will never get any better. I feel like I don’t have anything to live for anymore.
As we returned to his room, he turned to me and asked: “Is there anything you can tell me that can give me hope?” I felt suddenly overwhelmed with compassion and reached out to grasp his hand. I shared with him that during some of my hard moments, I remember that God is always at work despite the outlook of our circumstances. I ventured on to remind him that he was living that day because God had something planned for his life. We prayed, and he grasped my hand back and slowly responded: “Thank you…you have given me something to think about.” This experience may not have affected him profoundly. However, it caused me to realize that each interaction can give someone a reason for hope. If you find yourself stuck in the mundane, I encourage you to ask God to put someone in your day to whom you can be a blessing. You will likely discover that God is always at work, and there is indeed purpose in the mundane.
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