Reflections from a Hospital Bed

There is something about hospitals that, ironically, I find to be life-sapping. The smell of medicine, the weary and gloomy faces of patients, the screams of children with a phobia for needles or the desperate cry of an adult who has just lost a loved one. The confused faces of people coming to terms with a diagnosis and calculating the bills, whatever the issue, hospitals are a constant reminder that we live in a broken world with sickness, disease and death.

I recently had the unexpected experience of spending 10 days in a hospital ward. I have generally been blessed with good health; this was only the second time I had experienced hospitalisation. I was frustrated, and I was eager to be discharged. While hospitals remind us of the world's brokenness, they also demonstrate God’s common grace and blessing. Let me share seven quick reflections with you.

The body is an intricate masterpiece

I used to experience regular headaches that I put off as migraines. I have worn glasses since 8th grade, and I have had eye issues. I later found out I had glaucoma and needed to undergo surgery. Trabeculectomy is a surgery performed on the eye that creates a new pathway for fluid inside the eye to be drained to reduce pressure on the optic nerve. God made the body so beautifully and intricately that when one part is affected, the entire body suffers.

We are vulnerable and fragile

Our bodies are not just intricate masterpieces. They are quite fragile. On the one hand, what the body can endure is remarkable, but how vulnerable and fragile we are is also remarkable. For all the assurances of strength and physical stability, it does not take much to ground us. Even when we undergo treatment, the potential for complications is high. One moment, you could be well, and the next moment, you need to go back to the theatre for the third time and be admitted for several days. We are one illness, one wrong medication away and one complication from disaster and death.

God’s people are a blessing

Being part of a church family and enjoying wonderful relationships is such a blessing. During my time in the hospital, I got to experience the overwhelming love, kindness, concern, and care of God’s people: the prayers, the phone calls, the texts, the visits, the meals and snacks. Then, you have those concerned about your family and ensuring they are doing well. While it is not nice to be vulnerable, knowing you are not alone is a great blessing.

There is misery and brokenness in this world

While in the hospital, you get to see and hear stories about others and what’s going on in their lives. You have those, for instance, who are eager to be admitted because they get to sleep in a more comfortable bed and are assured of three meals. Then you have those who simply do not have anyone to care or look out for them. Each visiting hour was despairing for them because no one ever showed up.

It is easy to have misplaced priorities

Sickness, the possibility of losing vital bodily function and ultimately even death bring life into perspective. We get used to pursuing goals and targets and going through the routine of life, and it is very easy to be distracted and lose sight of the things that really matter. Nothing like being confined to a hospital ward forces you to pause, reflect and reevaluate. It got me thinking about the use of my time, the causes I invest in, and the efforts I rally behind. I wondered if I had made the most of sight and if I would have no regrets if I could no longer see.

This is a reminder to make the most of the time. The fragile nature of life demands that we make the most of our health and bodily function. We must steward our abilities and not simply assume we will enjoy them forever here.

We are all dispensable

The month of March was going to be super busy. I had two camps, a conference, my weekly preaching and teaching, and two preaching engagements with other churches. I was pumped and ready to go. And I even felt these were topics that I needed to address. As providence would have it, I did not handle any of those engagements. I spent the entire month recovering and receiving treatment. And all the meetings went on just smoothly. None of the meetings was cancelled or postponed; there was no disruption to church life. Classes went on smoothly. It was another stark reminder that for all my feelings of self-importance, I am easily replaceable.

We cling to Hope

The pain, frustration, and inconvenience of sickness and hospitalisation are another reminder that we are pilgrims. We are in transit and have not yet reached our final destination. And it makes us eagerly long for when all will be made new—when doctors, medicines, and hospitals will not be necessary. When we will be like our saviour and eternally transformed, till that day, we remain good stewards of our bodies, time, and opportunities. And we remain grateful for good health, doctors, medicine and hospitals.