Haitian Smiles and Prayer

My mind is numb. Not the kind of numb that I usually feel from lack of use, but the feeling that comes from overstimulation and being filled with wonder. Today I saw and did many things for the first time:

I helped 11 patients off of two blackhawk helicopters.

I carried a little girl into the bathroom and put her on the toilet because her leg had been amputated.

Held a flashlight for a doctor as he tried to give a really small boy an I.V.

And I realized through all of it that it´s not about me.

And many more images that are flowing through my mind. I have always avoided doctors, hospitals and anything else medical. Last time I visited someone in the hospital I almost passed out. I've been afraid that once we began to see patients on this trip the doctors would have to take care of me after I fainted from some small smell or from seeing any type of injury. I've been praying that God would give me the strength and ability to do more and handle whatever I'm presented with.

One of our doctors asked me to help him with one of our most critical patients. At first i panicked and then realized he just wanted me to hold a flashlight while he put in an IV. As soon as Dr Mac put the IV needle in the boys arm he began to scream and cry for his mom. The Dr moved the needle back and forth under the skin, I said a short prayer, held the light up for him and watched...without falling over. Small prayer answered.

Later in the day, after all the kids were given sponge baths, I gave a boy a pair of crutches. His leg had been amputated at mid-calf and as he hobbled out of bed his leg dressing fell off, leaving a gapping wound of expossed bone and flesh. I thought I was going to pass out. Instead, I said a small prayer and actually felt fine. I stayed there and watched the nurses wash out the wound and bandage it back up.

Prayer works.

Too often we don't allow ourselves the blessing of seeing how prayer can change who we are. By placing yourself in situations outside of your comfort zone God really carries you through.

I read this last night in James: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says...Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being pollted by the world."

Do things that you think you can't, not things you know you can.