Week 7 part 2

Although the title is named after Harry Potter, that's as far as it goes.

For me this week, I feel like I have been at a crossroads of many things.  For me, this is the ending of my 7th week in the CPE program.  Homesickness hit me a little bit.  Getting in the groove of being a chaplain a little bit.  I was asked today by Frances, one of my mentor staff chaplains, "what's something that you are going to take back with you when you're done with the program?" 

I answered, but eventually boiled it down to this:

"I'm going to take home the people." 

I'm  changed by listening to the lives of others, by hearing joys, fears, frustrations, and anger in their hearts from the past and present.  I looked in the mirror and did not recognize myself.  This week I have felt homesick, saddened, empathetic, frustrated (driving...), and confused.  This week I was told I was the "cute chaplain" by another patient, I felt respected and now recognized by the nurses, and I was complimented by the other chaplains. 

I am happy that I'm doing well.  I am sad that I'm not home.  I'm frustrated that my calling seems to be more and more complex.  I'm humbled by seeing God work wonders in people's lives both physically and spiritually. 

Aside from all this, God's presence is in me and also in others.  The interactions that I've had with patients and family members...nurses and doctors, mentors and peers... all of them were interactions with the Spirit working in the room. 

Call me insightful, confused, enlightened, humbled, right, wrong, a leader, a follower, a servant, a listener, a storyteller.  I am all of them.  I am whatever God will work best through.  I am who I am.