While we still can

Last Sunday, I was on duty as usher in church and I was a little bit earlier than usual. So while distributing bulletins and waiting for people to come in, I read the bulletins lo :D read an article written by this girl who spent two weeks at Charis Hospice as a part of a work experience placement (Charis Hospice is a charitable organization and they provide free medical support home care services to patients with advanced illness.. and RGBC has been supporting their work).

Chloe wrote,
"It is hard to watch people die. You look around their house and see photographs of how they were just a few months earlier and sometimes you can barely tell that the man or woman you see before you is the same person. I tried to put myself in their shoes, what would I think? How would I feel? Frustration that I can't do everything that I used to be able to do? Guilt that I can no longer provide for my parents and/or children? Fear of what comes next? Sadness that my passing will hurt my friends and family? I can only imagine how hard it must be both for the patient and the family.

One of the most important things I learned was how to have compassion. It is not just a matter of being kind and merciful; more than that it has to stem from love. Every day I watched as the nurses poured out this love to their patients, treating each one with respect and dignity, as if each one was a dear friend whilst doing everything in their power, even those less pleasant tasks, to alleviate suffering..."

I felt moved by what she wrote because I was imagining myself in their shoes too. Maybe because I've been going in and out from the hospital for countless times (mostly for visitations) just in this past one year, I've slowly learned not to take my health for granted. I remember I was quite sick when I came back from Timor Leste. I had diarrhea and nausea.. it's a sucky feeling when all you can do is just sleep, most of the time feeling blur..and when you don't even have the strength to pray for yourself or to seek God. So when I got well, I realised the need to offer encouragement to others who need to hear them, while I still can offer encouragements and prayers. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, I simply thank God for good health and for giving me another day to live for Him. But sometimes I can be so overwhelmed by my own things, that I became so inward-looking. Reading this article, I was reminded once again to do something while I still can. Still learning though.