Grace happens

what a week this has been! i worked a lot of late hours this week, which sometimes happens in the life of a social worker. in case someone reading this doesn't know, i am an hiv/aids case manager/social worker/mother hen. i've been doing it for quite a while and as with any job, it has its ups and downs. i am often an advocate for those who can't speak for themselves or just need help manuvering the system. thursday's adventure was with a gentleman who needed both. now, before i launch into the post, let me first say that i'm pretty into the holiday season this year and am feeling all sentimental and thoughtful and pondering the whole "reason for the season."
so, earlier in the week my office is notified of a gentleman who has aids, is homeless, and is very ill. for some crazy reason, case workers in another city thought we could work magic here in oklahoma city. so, the guy was sent to us with nothing--no clothes, money, identification, anything. he could barely walk, talk, hadn't eaten, and looked awful. my agency and other hiv agency jumped into action and several of us spent hours trying to figure out what to do. it was obvious he needed medical care. i ended up escorting him to a local hospital er where we camped out for approximately 8 hours. the er doc was fabulous and after taking one look at him, the dr asked to see me in the hall. we talked through what i knew of his medical history and current ailments and how we had been getting the runaround everywhere. the doctor shook his head and commented, "this guy is as close to one of God's children as anyone else." i almost cried because finally, someone was listening and someone was acting. i spent the next few hours sitting in the exam room while my client dozed and nurses and dr's would come poke and prod him. i did a lot of contemplating and praying during that time. i kept thinking about what that dr said, about this man being a child of God. i'm not too into the evangelical christian usage of the phrase "what would Jesus do" but that's exactly what popped into my head. Jesus would be sitting in an emergency room with a grungy, sick, incoherent man with AIDS. i'm NOT saying i'm Jesus but the experience of grace and humbleness i had by being an advocate for this gentleman has been quite overwhelming. i suppose it's because of my faith in forgiveness and redemption that i know this man, though he may be experiencing a not so pleasant existence now, is being watched over with care and love.

it was powerful. maybe you just had to be there....regardless, it was life affirming.

peace.