Don't Give Up on Me

Have you ever experienced something that you know God dropped down just for you?

As I mentioned before, I dread my week when I have to see inpatients. I am such an outpatient therapist.. give me my athletes and orthopedic patients anyday. However, every other week, I make the trek across the street and treat the patient who have been admitted into the hospital.  I had one encounter, as I posted in my previous post, with a patient, Mr A, who made me look at my life in a different aspect... but there was another patient who touched my life.

Enter Mr. F.. Mr F was added to our caseload after taking a fall that lead to a hospitalization to have his hip fracture repaired. Mr F has mild dementia, but has never had any difficulties until being 'put under' for surgery. The once independent, pleasant, and happy-go-lucky father/grandfather/husband  awakened as a combative, aggressive, unable to function stranger to his family. The very modest man was now stripping his clothing, punching others and myself, ripping skin from his favorite daughters forearm, and unable to recognize anyone around. After 3-4 attempts to treat this patient, I spoke with the RPT who advised me to check back on him one more time and see how he was doing. At that time, should he still be combative, to discharged him from our caseload. After being kicked, punched, and spit on.. I was ready to jump on that offer. I almost crossed my fingers hoping he would be too combative or too medicated to tolerate it at that point. I have never thought this before, but after the week I have had, I will take any relief I can get, understand?

So, I tap quietly on the patient's door, and ease it open. As I look in, Mr F is sitting up in the bed with family around him, and he is carrying on a conversation with them. Although he is still confused about some of them, he remembers the names of most people present. He does above and beyond what he has previously been doing over the course of the week, and sits up on the side of the bed with assistance, attempts to stand, performs exercise. I finish his treatment, and walk out of the room still somehow amazed at the difference a few hours of rest and meds have made for him. I walk back across to the wellness center to share the news, still completely bewildered at how such a change in his progress could happen in such a short time.

These words rang out in my mind, And I was about to give up on him. It was as if God dropped this very thought into my little pea-brain. I could have given up, stopped trying, and let them deal with it themselves.. and I was HOPING for him to be doing bad, crossing my fingers that he would fail to an extent.
And just as quickly as these thoughts came into my head, so did the fact that, just as I was giving up on him, couldn't God just as easily give up on me? Couldn't he just stop trying and let me go? Couldn't he discharge me from his case load because I couldn't do better than I have done? But, he doesn't. God never gives up on his children. Just as Mr F is my patient, I am God's child. And though I might have thoughts as I did prior to knocking on Mr F's door yesterday, God never does. He is faithful and just.

Dear Lord, please never give up on me. I pray that you continue to use me. Continue to work in my thoughts, my actions, my reactions to situations. Keep your hand upon me, Lord, and continue to work in my life. Although I am human and I might give up on those in my life, please don't give up on me. Your servant!