Bethany Helm, PA
Missing the Mark
A study was conducted several years ago on the supply versus demand of prayer in a medical setting. The results were astonishing. Seventy percent of patients desire their medical provider to ask about their spirituality or at least offer to pray with them, yet only 10% of medical providers ever offer this blessing. Astounding, right? Talk about missing the mark!
I am blessed to serve in the Guam SDA Clinic which is known in the community as a Christian clinic run by Adventist standards and health principles. The clinic has been serving the community for well over 60 years and there is a great measure of faith that patients have when coming to our clinic for treatment. It is not uncommon to hear the patients state that they come to our clinic because “this is the only place where someone ever asks to pray with me.” What a blessing to have that reputation! But I must say that I have personally been guilty of neglecting my patients’ spiritual needs at times.
Yes, it is easy to pray with a patient as you are sending them off to the Emergency Room or delivering disappointing news. But what about the random every day patients that fill the majority of our schedules? I have typically practiced with the habit of waiting to feel the Lord impress me on each patient as to whether I need to offer prayer. After all, I do not want to become jaded about praying with patients. While that is a good thing, I also learned a valuable lesson from missed opportunities.
A patient was on my schedule for a post-procedure follow up that would only take a few minutes. After I performed my duties, I said my goodbyes and moved on to my next patient who had already been waiting on me for longer than I wanted. My nurse finished the discharge and escorted the patient out. However, my nurse pulled me aside later and gave me the details of what followed after I had left the patient’s room. “Ms. Bethany, that patient was really disappointed and asked, ‘Isn’t she going to pray with me?’” Wow. I was immediately rebuked. While I may not have “felt impressed” to pray with that specific patient at that particular time, my patient clearly had needs that I did not see. I wondered, “How many opportunities have I truly missed because I was waiting for an impression instead of simply asking a question?”
My nurse and I discussed the situation and realized that perhaps instead of waiting to be impressed, we should simply offer prayer with EVERY patient and keep the door open to wherever it leads. Since that day, I have made it a habit to offer prayer with every patient. And to my surprise, I have only been turned down maybe twice and the majority share prayer requests and tears as we finish our time together. I have even had a few patients pray for me!
I am saddened to think of all the missed opportunities that I let fall by the wayside. But I also rejoice at the lesson learned and the blessings that lie ahead if we simply give opportunity for God to work. Blessings as you find your own way of sharing Christ in your workplace!
<< | Table of Contents | >>