Hospital Sing-a-long

I dragged myself out of bed this morning. Ever have days like that? Especially several days like that in a row? Days where you've been burning the candle at both ends. Days where you stay up way too late and get up way too early. In between those times, the day is packed full of demands that tax your physical, emotional, and spiritual strength. So when the alarm goes off again, sometimes you just gotta hit the snooze button.


Today started like one of those days.


But it sure isn't ending like one! :o)


This morning, I meant to set my alarm for 6am to get up early, exercise, have an unrushed prayer time, a leisurely breakfast, and arrive early for hospital staff devotions at 8. Instead of that, last night I stayed up kinda late saying goodbye to friends that returned to the States today and talking online with my beloved. Those conversations were wonderful and precious, and I was so thankful for them that I decided to sleep in a little later. At 6:15 when my alarm went off, I didn't. ;o) I reset it for 6:45. And then stayed in bed until 6:55. I'm not really sure what happened after that (i think that's when i made espresso-- i don't really remember anything until i drank said espresso at 7:21). 7:21?!?! What happened to exercise time and prayer time and leisurely breakfast time?! It turned into quick 6 minute abs workout, speedy devotional reading time while chowing down on homemade granola with fresh coconut. And it turned into 10 minutes late for hospital devotions.


I'm so thankful that God knows us, and that He knows us inside out-- every single nook and cranny. He knows what every second of our days looks like. He knows that this week has felt crazy for me, and He is so sweet to meet me in the midst of it. During crazy fast devo time, He spoke these words into my morning:


"Come to Me with your gaping emptiness, knowing that in Me you are complete. As you rest quietly in My Presence, My Light within you grows brighter and brighter. Facing the emptiness inside you is simply the prelude to being filled with My fullness. Therefore, rejoice on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is a perfect day to depend on Me in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have been your companions. You may not realize at what point they joined you on your journey, but you will feel the beneficial effects of their presence." ~from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young


What a wonderful message for today! I committed this day into His care and decided to rejoice in the midst of feeling so inadequate with my lack of Creole and lack of energy.  And feeling so tired is a great way to remember to depend on the Lord for strength-- since I'm completely out of my own anyways!


And God did a wonderful, mysterious work in me today! He gave me strength and joy and peace!


During the hospital devotions, we sang a beautiful song in Creole about how Jesus will take care of us every day up through the end. It was so beautiful, and such sweet confirmation of what He promised me this morning.


And then enters the craziness of hospital life!! As we started rounding in the hospital, I was called into the small operating room to sew up the face of a local (Haitian) English teacher who had crashed his motorcycle. It was neat and a sweet surprise to get to converse with my patient in my own language! I got him all fixed up and then back to the hospital, where I rounded on my patients, all of whom seem to be getting better and missed me (i had been doing clinic work and scheduling so it had been a few days since i rounded in the wards). 


Around noon, I hit my Creole wall, that funny place where my tongue feels like it's tied up in knots and I can't speak any language anymore. Just then, the Holy Spirit reminded me to trust Him for the strength to go on and to rejoice that I need Him so desperately! So sweet!! He gave more than enough strength to continue on working and speaking Creole for another 3 and a half hours! 


Around 1pm, I had finished rounding, and the nurse I'm working with encouraged me to go practice my Creole with the other patients, the ones that the other doctors are rounding on. So, I asked the Lord for more strength, and started visiting! The third patient I saw was this incredible older lady who's in the hospital for a headache and stomachache and I don't know what else (i need to check her chart later). She's so sweet!! She's a believer, and she told me that she loves me because she feels young again when she talks with me (maybe it's cuz i still sound like a lil kid in creole! :o). We enjoyed one another's company so much! She told me that I need to practice my Creole with her everyday! After a few minutes of chatting, I thought that we were done, so I went to get up and told her that I'd be praying for her. 


But that wasn't enough for her! She wanted me to pray right there! In Creole!! 


I mentioned again to her that my Creole is not so great, and I would be happy to pray in English. O, no! It must be in Creole, she insisted. 


So, asking the Father for more strength, I did the best I could. When I looked up, I saw that 9 people had gathered around us!! Then this sweet woman asked me to sing... in Creole! Laughing, I told her that I don't really know any songs in Creole except for part of one that we sang in church this week. It's a neat song that talks about how God will never leave or forget us. And that group gathered around the bed knew it and we sang together!


Then they wanted to sing more!! They urged me to run home (my house is just across the street) and grab my songbook. So, I did! I returned and we had a wonderful time of singing together about the love of God!! It was such an incredible moment, and it felt like this is exactly what I came to do!!! 


In the midst of the sing-along, I got called into another room just 10 feet away to help deliver a baby! My friends in the hall continued to sing that song about how Jesus won't leave or forget us! What a beautiful thing to welcome a new life into the world and have songs of Jesus' Presence being sung at the same time!!! 


As I walked back home this afternoon, I remembered again those words from the devo reading this morning, and realized that He crowned this day with His presence and joy and peace! What a wonderful day! What a wonderful God!!!


May your day be sweet rejoicing in His strength!