As I sat with a resident yesterday who was clearly getting lost in the fight to stay present, I admit to feeling helpless. The color in her had been pooled away and I sat instead with the void and vacant. I called on the Holy Spirit repeatedly for help. Words came to me by His power and by His power life slowly returned, though dimly. Our eyes could see each other and it was enough for the moment. As I walked to the dining hall by myself I silently prayed to God. It is very difficult to sit with another's pain and feel helpless to relieve it. She sat next to me for lunch and her light became just a tiny bit brighter. As we went around the table in closing, we shared how our food was, what we were feeling and what we were grateful for. She, in a barely audible voice, with head down and eyes averted, said she was grateful for support. In that moment, I could think of no better place to be - in the private and deep space of a victory that had the light of Jesus through and through it. As I was praying for this young woman this morning, I thought about the value of just simply sitting alongside someone. Just being. I've underestimated that. Sometimes, all we really need is to be heard and seen, to be connected with, in order to have the courage to crawl from a dark space.
Dee M. Kostelyk
No comments:
Post a Comment