At 3:00 last Wednesday my Field Education advisor, Thomas, and I found ourselves breathing quickly as we rushed from the parking lot to the newborn wing of Northside Hospital. A member of the church had been admitted in anticipation of giving birth at any moment. After asking around we found the hospital room she was supposed to be in and saw that it was empty. The nurse cleaning the room informed us that the lady had just gone into the operating room for a caesarean section and that the mother's parents would likely be in the waiting room down the way.
We kept our brisk pace and broke the threshold of the waiting room door while looking around to determine which couple in the room was the soon to be child's grandparents. After a moment of asking around we found the grandparents in the back corner and they immediately rose to greet us.
That is when I saw the look on their face.
Were these two well-dressed men from the hospital?
We informed them we were from their daughter's church.
Why were people from the church coming to talk to us during the middle of the surgery?
We informed them that we were there to celebrate the birth of their grandchild with the family.
Relief quickly washed upon their faces.
In the future I will try and be more aware of the level of importance that body language, demeanor, and approach can have in the midst of such situations. I now have a good set of questions to ask some of the ministers here about visiting those in need, and I'm looking forward to pastoral care classes which I will take one day at Duke Divinity. In the mean time, I am thankful for Field Education which is serving its purposes well as I learn valuable lessons and am able to share the love of Christ to those in the midst of joy and pain in Atlanta.
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