10

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while.  My last two posts were last friday, and they were on facebook because I did my overnight and can't access my blog.  So please, go read them there, though i can cut and paste them here if you would like.

Thanks to Megan Yamamoto, the Masukanes and the Tondo's for the care packages.  Definitely it has gotten me out of Charlie Brown syndrome.  Probably as another update is that for those who were planning on mailing me stuff, I want to let you know that I'll be closing my mailbox on the 12th of next week, and trying to forward mail back to Torrance as early as the 10th. 

Well, how am I doing? glad you didn't ask that last week, because it was quite irritating.  I felt like I was making mistakes, and I was frustrated that I was learning office/department "policy" in the last three weeks of my internship.  God that made me mad.  Teach me that on the 3rd day, not the 3rd to last week.

I have 10 days left in the program, and 8 of them are working days.  At this moment, I like "Chaplain Jon" as a visible figure not only to patients, but to staff as well.  It's not that I don't feel comfortable...that could be a blog post in itself to describe how far I came.  But the hospital itself is so compartmentalized that it would be uncommon to know a staff member from another department and even more uncommon if they actually worked together.  But as a chaplain, I interact with the ICU, the regular floors, and the psych floors.  Sure, some of the nurses ignore me, but I don't mind because they're supposed to be busy and not focused on me.  But it is uplifting to know that you are referred to from the units you work with most.  I'm not afraid to step into a room with patients...because I learned that they're people too.  The only difference I have seen is that their brokeness has personified into something much more physical than everyone else.  But everyone is spiritual, everyone is trying to understand life, and everyone defines a higher power (even in those extreme cases where they define themselves as God.). 

So, How am I doing? I feel like a chaplain.  Some days are good, some are not, but the caring for others have never left.  I did not grow to "care" for others, but I understand the power of it and how it can be used to transform lives through God.  For that, I hope I never lose that sense of caring for others.