Giving and receiving

I started today being a bit more conscious that I should be aware of 'present moments'. I tend of whizzz through what I do, very preoccupied and concentrating hard yet sometimes missing the gift of present moments. What made it more important was that I was helping out at Assunta Hospital pastoral care this morning. So as i drove there I reminded myself.

I was given two general wards, and the ICU to visit. As I ran through the list, I realized that the elderly in the wards is the largest age group. And I realized how inadequate i usually feel with this age group, sometimes due to language barrier but there's more to my discomfort.....

The first patient I visited made my day!! I spoke with the pleasant lady in English, finding out about her, listening to her life story and the way her faith (Christian) has made such a difference in the midst of the struggles with family and health......at the end, I offered to pray for her and I did, holding on to her hand. Then she grasped both my hands and prayed for me - this caught me unawares and touched me so much that my eyes misted. She was so eager to be able to give what she could....and for an elderly person in her late eighties what better gift for others than prayer? From her countenance and speech, I could see that life's struggles and disappointments have grown in her a compassionate heart (in place of bitterness) and a truly deep desire for the Lord (ready to 'go home' rather than clinging anxiously to life). I felt much, much gratitude for someone who showed me that age/illness does not diminish our spirit.

There were a number of elderly I visited who were asleep, and all i could offer was a quiet prayer by their bedside. Another - an elderly gentleman was very quiet during my visit and allowed me to speak more to his wife. But at the end when I reassured him by the ministry of touch - he burst into tears.......how anxious he must have been, unable to express those feelings and maybe even a little disoriented in a hospital setting where many things (dressings, treatments, tests etc) are being done and the person looses all sense of control.

I am glad I could help out today. Many blessings received for the small effort put in. And these experiences will enrich and deepen my reflections on life, on what it means to be fully human. For it is there we must start in our search for God.