Applying Our Hearts

June 19, 2009
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Ps 90:12

I spent the day visiting patients and staff today. I made my way around my assigned floors, got lost, and got found, and had a great time with the whole experience. I leaned a lot on instincts even as I wrote lots of notes trying to remember what to "chart."

For how much intellectual learning and formal education I have received, nothing can compare to walking into a medical situation. I was filled with my own expectations and no small amount of anxiety.

In this one room, the patient was sitting in the visitor chair, surrounded by her family. She had a big smile on her face as she relayed to me that she was a tearful wreck earlier. And she was not presentable - she had not combed her hair, put on lipstick, and was wearing this awful gown. "Respect the dignity of every person" came to mind, and I listened to her lament.

When her family member mentioned what church they attended, I inquired more about it. This family member then taught me how to pray in their style and I was gifted with a new perspective on prayer. It truly opened my heart to wisdom and I was grateful for the visit.

How are we, as a society, applying our hearts to wisdom in the small and big matters of the world?