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Sometimes Bravery Looks Like Caring

Mark Miller

Jul 30, 2024

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly
the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
Acts 3:6-7. New International Version

I spent ten hours last night in an emergency room. There were people everywhere. It
looked like a scene from an apocalyptic movie, except there were no trauma victims
being rushed in by ambulance. These were people with ordinary problem: chest pains,
stomach pains, dog bites, broken legs, appendicitis. Due to staff cuts everyone waited
at least five hours to see a doctor. I overheard one nurse say she’d already worked 15
½ hours and there was no one available to replace her so she had to keep on working.
There was crying, moaning, throwing up – and lots and lots of complaining, from
patients and staff alike. In the midst of my pain, I prayed for mercy for all of my fellow
sufferers.

Then I saw a woman approach the security desk. She was one of the biggest
complainers. “Oh no. Here we go,” I thought. “There’s going to be scene.” Instead, the
woman asked if the security guard could go through his security footage, because
someone had taken a very special blanket while she was in the bathroom. The blanket
belonged to her mother who had recently passed. I fully expected the guard to say
something like:” Don’t you see how busy I am? I can’t go through the last five hours of
footage to find a blanket.”

But he didn’t. He asked for details and started reviewing video. When at first he didn’t
succeed, he called in two more security guards to help. Eventually they found who took
it. That person was receiving treatment in another part of the hospital. Soon the
blanket was recovered, and though that woman was still waiting to be seen a doctor
when I left. She had received a different kind a healing. In a place where it seemed like
no one had the time to listen or care, that guard did what he could to care for her.

Sometime bravery looks like caring. Just caring is as act of bravery when we feel
overworked and overwhelmed, when the needs are so great and our own ability to do
something about it seems so small. I don’t know if that woman ever received the
physical healing she came to the ER to find, but judging by her smile when her precious
blanket was returned, I know she left feeling better.

Braver Than Lions

©2024 by Braver Than Lions

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