40 Faces, 40 Places: A Devotional JourneySample

Basil from London

Sometimes whole-life discipleship looks like carving out time for kindness.

As a doctor, it’s been incredibly difficult working during this pandemic. We’ve often made hard decisions about which of two patients to treat, which goes against our training as doctors. As well as longer hours, we’ve faced a greater emotional burden, especially as we talk to family members who’ve been unable to see loved ones in the hospital.

I’ve had some positive and eye-opening experiences despite all of these challenges. During the first wave of Covid, I was redeployed to the intensive care unit. One patient, a young man who had been ventilated but was now recovering, had to have a central line inserted into his neck. The procedure isn’t painful as the patient is anesthetized, but it is very scary, and there’s lots of pressure put on the body.

The person is awake but unable to talk through the whole thing, and this man was visibly very scared. I held his hand while one of my colleagues performed the procedure. He was squeezing my hand very tightly on occasion – I would ask him if he was okay, and he would squeeze my hand every time to respond.

I next saw him a month on, when he was recovered and ready to be discharged. As soon as I walked into the room, he recognized me as the person who held his hand. Knowing I’d had this impact on a patient’s life and made something scary a little bit easier lit up my day and reminded me some of the sacrifices we make are worth it.

Reflection

If you were to guess what positive highlight a hospital doctor working at the pandemic's peak would pick out, would you guess holding a patient’s hand?

What does it say that Basil noticed the chance to be there for that person, checking he was okay? While being redeployed to the ICU, working longer hours, and feeling overburdened, he found time for one person in need.

As people ‘crowned with love and compassion,’our ‘crown’ is not just supposed to look pretty on our heads. We’re called to practical action – finding ways to show love and compassion in our everyday places creatively. It doesn’t have to be dramatic: sometimes, a relatively simple act can be deeply significant for the recipient and the giver.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for reminding me of the power of loving assurance and physical company for those who feel vulnerable. Thank You that You ‘crown me with love and compassion.’ Show me how to give Your love and compassion away to others. Lord, show me when there’s a way I can make something a little easier or less scary for someone else.