My current chaplaincy program is coming to an end. I will complete my first CPE unit this week. During the last 6 months I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff at the hospital. It has helped me develop an even greater appreciation for the care and attention provided by the nurses, doctors, and others who tend directly to the needs of those who visit our hospital. I have also seen men and women who clean rooms, do maintenance work, or some other task pause and take time to share a kind word and bring a smile to the face of someone they view as a guest rather than a patient. My class time was rewarding as well. My instructor and the other chaplains in the program were wonderful to work with and I have developed a close bond with each of them. The interaction and the discussions we shared both in and outside of class have truly helped me grow as a person and as a minister.
I am grateful for those I was able to visit with during the last 6 months; patients, nurses, custodians, other chaplains, people in the hallway, and even people in the parking lot. I have been blessed by the honesty and vulnerability which marked our conversations. I will never forget some stories that were shared, some tears that were shed and some prayers that were lifted up to God’s throne of grace. The entire experience has been better than I could have ever hoped for. I pray that the Lord will be with those patients and families that were prayed for. And I pray that He will bless everyone who was and continues to be associated with the program. I know that He has used this program to bless me.
God has your back! 