Showing Love...Continued

The patients I have been working with on the ship...well the tent on the dock :)...have taught me both how to receive love and give love better. Due to patients being treated first come first serve, I have treated many different patients. Having been here a month, I am able to recognize and remember some just by their names on the schedules. Within the first week, however, they began showing love to me. Me, a white female whom they have never seen before who is working with them.  Some of my best moments here in Congo have been playing with the children at the Hope Centre (where patients stay after they are discharged from the hosptial). They trust you quickly. They are full of joy, excitement, energy. They want to hug you, climb on you, play with you. It is so nice to see them as children not patients. This is a different side of them than we see day to day in the rehab tent.

The definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 displays the multiple dimensions and components of love. Love is much bigger and deeper than I usually think. It is encouraging and challenging that love is more complex than the physical love or flippant use of love/like. I have seen love and realized that I have been loving people more than I realized over the years. Love is difficult too. There are many areas of love in which I need to grow!

  4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Patient/ not easily angered:
People wait for hours to have their time with the rehab team. They often have traveled for an hour, waited at the train station for transportation from Mercy Ships, wait outside the rehab tent until their number is called, wait while their pressure garment or splint is made or customized, wait for transportation back to where they are staying. They never say a word about having to wait. They truly do wait patiently, sometimes all day. They remain grateful for what they have received. I never thought about patience as a part of love. They are patient with us. I am still working on being patient with others in all circumstances. 

Kind: 
One of the important customs here is to greet everyone in the room when you enter and leave the room. Often this is done verbally and with a handshake or hug. This is a sign of respect and kindness acknowledging everyone who is present. One of the "small things" that is not so small that Mercy Ships does for the outpatients is provide two pieces of bread and butter, water, and shade under tents for them to wait. They all enjoy the substance as they wait the long hours during the day. This is one way we can show our love for them. 

It does not Envy:

It does not boast; Is not proud:
I have been grateful for how well the Rehab team works together as a team. We play to each others strengths and skills. We all have different levels of experience as therapists and different areas of knowledge. We are not too proud to ask for another opinion or expertise. We are all willing to learn from each other and from our patients. We are willing to give others what we have to give and do not expect recognition. 

It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking:
Some of us are more challenging to love and work with than others. Remembering that everyone is created in God's image and has value no matter how they behave any particular day is key. It is often difficult as a human as we want to keep a record of wrong. It is also important for me to remember tone of voice communicates more than the actual words. It conveys honor or dishonor.  Likewise, working as a team and not taking credit for something turning out successfully or looking out what is best for me at the moment is part of honoring others.  

Keeps no record of wrong:
I am asking them to perform tasks that are very difficult and often new for them. Also I am stretching them to the point of temporary pain (like pulling your finger back to where you feel significant discomfort). Despite the age, the session will usually contain a combination of whimpers, tear, and screams (sometimes), no I can't do that, trying to perform the task in an easier way but not getting the benefit of the task, "bravos" when the task is performed or the range of motion desired is reached. After the session, however, they often promptly thank you, hug you, smile at you, laugh with you.  The next day, they are happy to see you work with you again.

Rejoices in the truth:
As I mentioned earlier, even when it is hurtful and disappointing, telling the truth in a respectful, understanding manner.  I have seen how important it is to keep some of the other aspects of love in mind when telling the truth tactfully (kind, does not dishonor, does not keep a record of wrong).  Rejoices in the truth...There is much rejoicing when the truth is goals met, progress made, healing accomplished.

Always protects:
We always ask the question, "How has surgery changed your life?" when a patient is discharged. One of the most common answers is that my child will no longer be laughed at. Parents instinctively want to protect their child. Protect them from physical, spiritual, and emotional pain.  It was been neat to watch the different parent-child relationships. The parents are willing to have their child go through temporary pain to decrease their physical differences in an effort to protect them from social disgrace.

Always trusts:
The patients and patient caregivers trust that the people in the big white ship know what they are doing and will care for themselves or loved ones well. They are willing to allow us to put their legs in casts, splints, and stretch and challenge to the point of significant discomfort and inconvenience if we advise it. Often this is blind trust as some have had previous medical procedures elsewhere that have failed or did not have desired outcome.

Always hopes:
Patients hope for good outcomes. Therapists hope for good outcomes and good carry over.Therapists hope for continued progress. Hope is one of the keys for patients and therapists to continue on the journey together.

Always perseveres:
Healing of bones, skin grafts,  and obtaining range of motion all take a long time. Working hard to maintain range and gain strength and function when there is nerve damage, requires perseverance for months. Scars take up to 2 years to full form. Bones continue to strengthen with weightbearing. Nerves regrow very slowly. Also, therapists and patients keep trying different exercises, splints, combinations for months to obtain the best result possible for them. It is not an easy road, but often has a wonderful ending.

These are some of the ways I have been receiving and giving love in the past few weeks. It is quite the journey to Love the way Jesus has instructed us to love. I am so thankful that God's love is unconditional as unfathomable as the concept is. I am grateful he loves me through thick and thin and truly exemplifies all the above characteristics. Ready, Set, Go love :)