Today started at 1:30 a.m. as usual. I love to get up in the wee hours of the morning and read my devotionals and Bible, pray over those on my prayer lists, and pray over the scriptural promises that I have selected to take to my heart as my very own. I get such strength and spiritual power from these times of prayer and meditation, and they keep me fresh and focused on God’s will for my life.
After going back to bed for a few more hours of blessed sleep, I got myself and my mother ready for church. I love my church: Mimosa Lane Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. We are small enough for that friendly feeling, and yet large enough to have mission trips to India and the Philippines. The church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and does not currently ordain women ministers. But I have met with the deacons in order to be commissioned by the church, because I am a chaplain at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
The worship service ended by 11:00 a.m., and off we went to our Sunday School class, which we call the Agape group. Agape is for the elder adults, but they allowed me to join, because I attend to my mother. They also elected me to be the president this year. Last year I was the treasurer. Having those roles has been such an honor, coming from my elders. Today we discussed distributing Thanksgiving dinners to the poor in our city and buying Christmas gifts for a Salvation Army Angel Tree Child. The group also supports the Texas Baptist Men every year.
By 2:00 p.m., I arrive at Parkland and page the chaplain on call. He comes and gives me my list of patients to visit. I ride the elevators up to the floor where my patients are, and I wind my way down and around the long halls and finally arrive on the ward. I notified the charge nurse that I will be visiting patients on the floor, but I do not tell her that it is my first time. I was a critical care nurse for thirteen years, so I did not expect any problems on this my first day as a hospital chaplain. But when I arrived on the floor, I found out that half of my patients speak only Spanish! And I don’t speak Spanish. So I repeated “Dios te bendiga” (God bless you) and “Rezo por ti” (I will pray for you). Those phrases were the extent of our communications, but the patients mostly seemed pleased. We have translator telephones at the hospital that I can use, but I did not have the code this my first day on the ward. I spend my afternoon visiting patients, who are critically ill, have had surgery, or suffered injuries. One is dying of AIDS.
Before I go back next week, I will use the English to Spanish translator at http://spanishdict.com to translate a few pastoral phrases and prayers. There is much to learn. But it was a fantastic day.
Deborah Gilbreath is a chaplain at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.