Yesterday we had a groovy sister field trip to one of our sponsored hospitals. Our vocation director organized the visit for me & Chero (the groovy novices to be) and Cynthia, our new pre-candidate. The Sisters who are missioned there gave us a wonderful welcome, tour of the hospital and delightful lunch in their backyard.
I was struck by a few things.
One … this was my 5th groovy hospital tour (now I’ve just got to get myself to Alaska to see the last one!). Our Sister tour guide usually introduces the group to the staff in the hospital as “some of the Sisters visiting.” The first time this happened to me at groovy hospital #1 last summer, my heart about stopped. This time it felt natural. A good thing as this will in fact be my new “label” in the near future!
Two … all of our Sisters are so loved in these hospitals. It is so clear in the greetings from the staff and local folks in the halls. I think this stems from the longstanding commitment to providing medical care in these small-ish towns. But it also just says something about the general groovy spirit that is hard not to love.
Three …while I personally don’t feel a pull to hospital work (unless maybe some day in spiritual care/chaplaincy), it was an honor and a privilege to walk the halls with Sisters who have dedicated their lives to this important work. The hospital moto is something like “continuing the healing mission of Jesus Christ,” and that is clear in the respect and attention given to each individual in the giant institutions – from housekeeping to kitchen staff, MRI & lab technicians, doctors and nurses, patients, families, etc … More than once our tour was interrupted as our Sister tour guide stopped to help someone who seemed lost, either directionally or spiritually or both. And after 30 year in the hospital she was able to set everything to right in mere minutes, and our tour would continue! It was amazing to watch.
This hospital is just about an hour north of Portland, so I had a short commute yesterday morning. The only thing is, my car is still in the shop so I had to get a rental car. My car insurance paid for most of it, and it was good to get back on the road and over any post-accident jitters. The only thing is, since I rented it for the weekend all they had available was a giant SUV. A big contrast from my little Honda Civic!
I was feeling a bit sinful in the big giant gas guzzling SUV. And then I went to see a movie with my friend Jackie last night after the field trip … “An Inconvenient Truth”. The movie has a very important message that everyone should hear about global warming. Unfortunately, judging by the audience he’s preaching to the choir.
In any case, it definitely felt sinful to buckle myself back into the giant SUV and on the road. I’ll be happy to turn it back in tomorrow morning!
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