Impact Your Health Chattanooga

in Spring 2016   |
Published on 09/17/2016   |
3 min | <<|>>

And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
No truer motivation to serve others exists. As we minister to the needs of those among us who are without resources and hope, Jesus assures us that our efforts ultimately touch His heart.

Impact Your Health Chattanooga, the AMEN free clinic conducted at the Chattanooga Convention Center in October 2015, served almost 1700 patients with more than 2,300 procedures being performed. Services ranged from dental and optical to medical, lifestyle, emotional and spiritual care. But the numbers can’t begin to tell the real story of the healing that took place.

At the prospect of receiving long deferred medical and dental care patients formed lines on the sidewalk outside the Convention Center long before sunrise. A sea of anxious faces hoped for treatment they couldn’t possibly afford. One by one they filed in: the homeless, the temporarily displaced, the uninsured, the underinsured, the discouraged, and the hopeless. As volunteers greeted them and assessed their medical needs, their stories emerged. One lady was grateful to finally receive some much needed dental work from caring professionals. As she made her way through the spiritual counseling area, picking up several pieces of literature, one of our volunteers struck up a conversation. Soon the lady announced that she used to be a Seventh-day Adventist. The door opened for a beautiful conversation and prayer and an invitation to a local church the next Sabbath. (This was only one of many former Adventists who attended the clinic and shared their stories) What opportunities for witnessing!

Another patient standing in line waiting to be registered overheard a man say he would have to miss his usual Sunday service so he could receive medical care. A woman in line told the man that the Sabbath was on Saturday, not Sunday. The man moved on in line, but a volunteer asked the woman if she was a Seventhday Adventist. The woman was not, but from studying the Bible had come to that conclusion. The volunteer asked her where she lived and gave her directions to the closest Adventist church. Later, when the volunteer again saw the woman, she said someone from the clinic attended the church near her and now when she goes there she won’t feel like a stranger!

Many attendees commented on how they appreciated being treated with dignity and respect. They also enjoyed the beautiful Christian music—particularly the 90 student orchestra from Southern Adventist University.

Practitioners shared Christ’s love by praying with patients and showing them Christian compassion. In the mental/ emotional health station, professional counselors offered help and hope. Two patients in particular, at separate times, were found to be clinically depressed. When probed, they admitted to being suicidal. Both were counseled and prayed with and mental health authorities were contacted to help these patients get the professional treatment they needed. Both patients let the counselors know the clinic’s intervention saved their lives.

Opportunities to share Christ’s love and show true Christian compassion are endless within the environment of a free clinic. Hearts are grateful and open to knowing the source of such loving service. Caregivers have more freedom to share their faith and the blessings received by doing so are manifold. Many volunteers expressed their joy in being part of such a meaningful outreach. As I read the response cards submitted by many of the clinic attendees, I rejoiced to see the numerous requests for prayer and/or Bible studies. Others indicated a desire to attend the It Is Written meetings, healthy cooking classes and lifestyle programs at local churches. During the evangelistic series (which began several days post clinic), many patients were in attendance—some even seeking out clinic volunteers to thank them for the invitation to the series.

Smiles and eyesight were restored, medical ailments relieved and the whole person ministered to thanks to the many dedicated volunteers who contributed their time and talents to the clinic. But the even greater blessing was seeing so many hearts renewed with hope. The number of Divine appointments that only God could have orchestrated is innumerable. What a joy it will be one day when our Savior Jesus returns and we get to see the eternal results. In the end, it’s a toss up as to who received the greater blessings—the patients or the volunteers.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people . . .” Galatians 6:10

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