Ok it has been a long long while since I last blogged…much has happened but alas it is Christmas. A time to reflect… or a time for me to do such things. Most people I think just eat a lot…which I did about an hour ago.
But I digress. I was on call this holiday. I work as a chaplain at Vanderbilt Hospital. Some of you know this. I have had two calls this last two days. Both yesterday. One was from a man whose wife was dying …slowly. The other was for a very young mother whose baby was about to undergo surgery for a chest tube. Today I went in for a “prayer appointment” for a woman who had Stage 4 lung cancer and some other complications that I would not wish upon my worst enemy.
Here is what I have decided: No one should be sick on Christmas. No one. My mom got sick once on Christmas. I declared then that it shouldn’t happen. And furthermore, no one should have to die on Christmas, say good bye to their kids, or generally suffer on Christmas.
God and I are discussing this at the moment. I yell a lot and God, well God is God. I will say that the hospital seems to be a bit more gentle on Christmas. Not many folks around and the halls are quieter. Makes getting through the rat maze of buildings a little better.
And there are reindeer who hang on to cookies for Santa at the Children’s Hospital. I stole a cookie this morning from one…I figured Santa had eaten enough by that point.
That is all really. Just a declaration for a moratorium on sickness and suffering on Christmas.
I could settle for some Jesus dust though. Presence is enough sometimes.
