Rejoice in the Lord!

I love being here! Have I said that already?! :) haha
I love being used by God to help others and to show them His love, and in addition He has used others to show me His love and His care.

This week, I have been taking care of a patient who had a skin graft done to her axilla, arm and neck to release some burn contractures. Graft surgeries are very complex and require specific, detailed care both intraoperatively and postoperatively. Plastics dressing changes can be very painful and are time consuming. Yesterday this patient had the dressing changed to the graft site. While assessing the grafts, it was noted that she had developed a hematoma underneath the axilla graft and the graft didn't take. It was very disappointing and sad to know that she will have to go back to surgery. She is also in an airplaine splint, which holds the arm in a 90 degree angle from the body to prevent the skin from moving too much before the graft adheres, which is an uncomfortable position for an arm to be in. Anyways, this patient has had a rough few days. Hearing the news yesterday that her graft was unsuccessful and then having to go through the pain of the dressing change was bad enough and then her donor site became infected as well. Today, when I went in, she was miserable, in pain, uncomfortable and unhappy. Nothing I could say or do made her feel better. I tried readjusting the splint, I gave her pain medication, I sat with her- all to no avail. To make it worse, I had to do a dressing change to her donor site. We went to the treatment room and went through a painful dressing change and returned to the room as the patient life team was about to start the morning worship session. They began to sing and dance and today I could really feel God in the voices of the patients and the team. The sound in the room was BEAUTIFUL!! The patients began to enjoy the music as time passed and one of  the patients, a 19 year old who also has a failed graft and has been crying for the last two days, began to sing loudly with eyes closed, hands up, praising God. I looked in the bed next to her at my patient to see her singing and moving to the music as well. She then began to smile, got out of the bed and began singing and dancing. All of us nurses couldn't believe that there was a smile coming from this patient's face. She had been through so much, yet she could praise God and thank him for all that He has done and all that He is doing. One of the leaders encouraged the patients to rejoice in the Lord always and to meditate on good things (Philippians 4). Watching my patient's mood transform from sad to glad, made me realize that God is in this place. This is His work and even when there are disappointments, He is still faithful and gave these patients so much joy. Especially when knowing about their pasts, how they got their burns, learning about their families, hearing what they've gone through because of their deformities, it all is capable of breaking one's heart. Yet, the will to overcome and the joy in the Lord is amazing to witness. I reflect on my life and the things that have gotten me down and the little things I let get in between my Lord and I, and am put to shame. I have alot to learn from my patients. The now the real meaning of rejoicing in the Lord always and being content in whatever state one is in.

Almost everyday in the wards, there is a time of singing or of the sharing of the Word. Today was all singing and worship with a few Scripture verses and yesterday was the sharing of the Gospel. It varies day to day, but there is always something encouraging. It is during those times that I really feel the Lord working. I was brought to tears today because God and only God put that joy in my patient. 

I am so happy and blessed to be apart of this work.