Young Adult Scripture Reflection

REMEMBERING HEALTCHARE WORKERS/FIRST RESPONDERS/DECISION MAKERS

(Christian Mocek)

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Scripture:

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; 

there is nothing I lack. 

In green pastures he makes me lie down;

to still waters he leads me;

he restores my soul.

He guides me along right paths

for the sake of his name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff comfort me.

You set a table before me

in front of my enemies; 

You anoint my head with oil; 

my cup overflows. 

Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me

all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD

for endless days.

Reflection:

“Can you please come back to say goodnight?” said my wife, resting on a recliner in a hospital room 10 miles from our home. 

“I’m tired,” I snipped back, only to look up and see my mom glaring at me from the recliner in our living room. 

All of a sudden worried that I just disappointed the two most important women in my life with one not-so-well thought out phrase, I quickly said to my wife on the phone, “I’ll come.  I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” 

This was the first time my wife was admitted into the hospital in six years. The last time she was in the hospital for an extended stay she had just finished her first year of college. During that stay we watched movies, explored the hospital corridors, and ate pizza with friends. Things were different this time around. 

To say that it upended the normal routine of our lives is to put it mildly. Our son was nine months old and was attached at his mom’s hip. The first night she wasn’t home to put him to bed was incredibly trying. I rocked him all night while drifting in and out of sleep as he cried for his mom. 

I was 25 years old with an inconsolable child that in all truthfulness I barely knew how to care for, a sick wife, and all-of-a-sudden very well-aware of the burden of responsibility on my shoulders. I was stumbling through my own dark valley feeling hopeless and lost. 

As I headed back to the hospital for the third time that day to tell my wife goodnight, I was pleading – begging – God for a consolation. I was tired and feeling stretched thin. I thought, “If this is the way I feel now, how am I going to do this if she ever gets really sick?” In the world of Cystic Fibrosis care, this hospital stay was considered routine.  

As I sat in downtown traffic observing the bustle of the city, I prayed, “God - I need you. Please give me what I need to make it through this.”

And as the cold breeze blew through my open windows, I heard in my heart, “Christian, I already have.” 

Psalm 23 speaks of a God that showers us with strength and comfort in trying times. When we are uncertain, God guides us along the right path. When we are tired, God restores our strength. When we walk through a dark valley, God is by our side. 

It speaks of a God who awakens the courage within us. As Christians, we are not an anxious people or a scared people, we are a courageous people for God is by our side. As this virus continues to spread, we may find ourselves in a place where we are called on to care for one another quite literally. We may find ourselves feeling overwhelmed, ill-prepared, and desperately reaching out to God for strength.  Or we may have friends or family members who are nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, first responders, and decision makers in this time, and our hearts will go out to them. 

In these uncertain times, may we know that God walks by our side and awakens the courage within us. Though our fear and anxiety may try to cripple our will to keep going – as Christians we have all that we need for what the future holds. 

Christian Mocek is the director of annual giving at Saint Meinrad, a Benedictine monastery, seminary and school of theology. In addition, he is a regular contributor to the National Catholic Reporter. He lives in New Albany, Indiana with his wife and one son. 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What word or phrase sticks out to you from Psalm 23? 
   
   

2. How might our own past experiences caring for others or being taken care of prepare us to act with courage in the face of this virus?