handshake

The page for the trauma bay warned me that the patient was a victim of an accidental gun shot wound.  She was wheeled past me, having lost lots of blood and now very pale.  The medical team sprung into action. IV's, bags of blood, oxygen, and chest compressions.  But we were losing her.  Time was running out.  All of a sudden a rib spreader appeared and the next thing I knew, a young doctor had his hand in her chest, around her heart, squeezing the beats out of it.  She revived.  And was rushed to surgery.


3 hours later I was paged back to this story.  The patient had died after a long surgery.  The doctor asked if I would go with him to tell the family.  I stood quietly beside him in the consult room praying for his courage as he broke such horrible news.  Praying for strength for the family hearing it.


When all was said and done, the doctor turned to me, introduced himself and thanked me for coming.  He reached out to shake my hand.  I realized that this hand grasping mine had been wrapped around a woman's heart just a few hours ago.


Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalms 73:23-26