Forest for the Trees....

It's difficult being a patient in the critical care burn ward.  Apart from the fact that they are in severe, constant, unyielding pain, often times their most basic needs fail to get met because their several different medical needs are time consuming.  So, one of the things I do is try and make sure their meals don't go cold and they get some hot food into their bellies.  Inevitably, every single time, the patient I am feeding gets frustrated with me because the portions on the spoon are too small, or I am not feeding them fast enough.  They all have their favorite foods.  Some like porridge, some like meat.  And when their favorite foods hit their mouths hot instead of cold, they can't get it into their mouths quick enough.  I always urge them to take it slow for a couple of reasons.  First, for many of them, their faces are severely burned so their mouths don't work as well as they did when they weren't burned, and I don't want them to choke.  But also, I am trying to urge them to savor the pleasurable experience of eating the hot food; something very rare in their lives.  I want them to notice the texture, the smell, the flavor, everything about the experience.  I want to also teach them that they can trust me, and I will be right there by their side until their stomachs are full and can't eat another bite.

I was thinking today how similar that is with me.  So often, I find myself only looking ahead at the goal.  I don't take the time to really notice all that is around me on the journey.  I remember, as a child, one year my parents drove us kids up to Disney World.  I was so excited with the anticipation of going to my favorite theme park that I didn't notice all of the wonderful things to see along the way.  It was only when I was older and made the same journey did I really notice the fun things to see.  I want to digest so much of the experience at one single time, I essentially choke and fail to really notice all of the beautiful details.

I ministered to a young man today who had been burned in his home by a couple of thugs.  They didn't take anything, they only burned him.  Presumably, they didn't steal anything because he made such a racket as he was being burned, but we will never know.  Today I managed to show up in the ward during the time when the patient's dressings were being changed.  I've always managed to enter the ward just before or just after, but today I was spot on.  His burns were horrific.  He was crying and moaning in pain.  He felt the thugs should have just killed him, and he felt the nurses didn't care for him because they were refusing to bandage his wounds.  This was not the case. The nurses have to be organized in their treatments, so they treat the patients according to their room location.  Unfortunately, this man's room was the second to last in the line.  I rubbed his shoulder, prayed with him, and sat and talked with him when he asked me to.  Before I left the ward, I checked in on him again.  The nurses were finally in his room, and he had a look of peace on his face for which I was very grateful. 

This is what God wants for us: He wants us to enjoy the journey.  He wants us to soak up every single detail, not just the end result.  When we are in pain or we don't understand why God is allowing us to experience something, we can have faith in knowing that everything will be OK.  Just hang on and have faith,a nd savor the journey. The salve, the balm, the good stuff, is just around the corner.