Worms, Pus, And Sandwiches
This is a devotional I shared at the hospital I used to be a chaplain at.
Our patients can be our best teachers if we let them.
I was called by a co-worker to see a pt who was "in need of help". This is a story about being humbled.
When I arrived to see this man, I could quickly tell he had many wounds/scabs on his body that didn't seem to be healing. (Just my assessment, not medical staff, just a chaplain) - we began to talk and after a bit, he told me how hungry he was and that he was homeless, down on his luck. He spoke in a low and defeated tone. He just wanted a sandwich. I helped him out.
I came back to my office after that visit, looking at his chart, and saw that he had complaints of worms in his wounds/stool, extreme amounts of pus, and a few other things that aren't very pleasant. I immediately became frustrated that I had shaken his hand and spent time with him in close proximity.
As I sat there washing my hands for the 3rd time and wiping down my computer and office, it hit me. I and the other members of the hospital team caring for him might have been the closest human contact he's had in a while.
I imagine he's outcasted, at least by most of society. In a moment of self-realization, I was humbled and convicted. As someone who is religious, I often think about Jesus. I remember stories of Jesus being with lepers. Choosing to enter into people's unpleasantness to love them. This man was a modern-day leper. To love is to see someone as more than their worst qualities. I did not initially do that.
I judged this man and thought I knew him when I was with him. But I didn't know. I saw him as a homeless man who needed help. I didn't see him as a dad or a son. A person who feels pain every time someone looks at him in disgust. Insecure about his wounds. Longing for the affection many of us take for granted.
I don't know why he is where he is, if it's his fault or not. But I know he's a person just like me. With a heart. I learned something from this man. About worms, pus, and sandwiches. About love and humility.
Attempting to be more humble,
Josh.