“Please help me! It’s really annoying and I’m having a little pain now!” pled the female inmate as I motioned for her to go to one of the exam rooms so I could take a look at what was bothering her right ear.
“Stay still!” I softly commanded. “I’m trying my best here but I need your help, too to try to be still despite the discomfort you would feel.”
“I’m sorry. Okay, I’ll try not to move around!” she answered.
Few days earlier, while being transferred from one facility to ours, she started having a vibrating-like noise inside her right ear. Crumpling a small amount of toilet paper, she thought it would be best for her to stick it inside her inner ear canal. She did feel some relief after doing so.
Except at that time when I saw her, she could barely hear. And she started having pain inside the right ear. I could have denied her request to be seen and just had the jail doctor treat her that morning. But I didn’t want to do so without even trying to help her out.
Focusing the special guided light, I saw a little wad of toilet paper stuck inside that covered the whole foramen of that inner canal. Fortunately, there was no sign of infection around the affected areas. She probably couldn’t hear because the paper blocked the whole canal.
Instilling some special eardrops, I waited a few minutes and started irrigating her ear with some warm water using a special kind of syringe. Only a small amount came out and even with a forcep, I only got out a little bit. At that time, the doctor was already there. Knowing that I had done my best, it was time for me to surrender and have the doctor do her part.
The doctor tried but still, the wad of toilet paper just wouldn’t budge. I took the syringe from the doctor. One morning nurse walked in and joined in by giving it a few more tries. She kept on irrigating the canal with warm water, this time, improvising with a special catheter tip for the syringe. All of a sudden, the entire paper came out!
The inmate beamed with joy! She kept thanking us knowing how hard the doctor, the other nurse and I tried and patiently treated her. Yet, during the entire process, her pain was minimized, despite the huge effort.
“I won’t do that again,” she promised. “I learned my lesson.” She smiled as she walked away to go back to her designated unit.
If there are situations that need our generosity, how much are you willing to give? Paul reminded us that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible, too.
“If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be quality.” - 2 Corinthians 8:12-13.
“Stay still!” I softly commanded. “I’m trying my best here but I need your help, too to try to be still despite the discomfort you would feel.”
“I’m sorry. Okay, I’ll try not to move around!” she answered.
Few days earlier, while being transferred from one facility to ours, she started having a vibrating-like noise inside her right ear. Crumpling a small amount of toilet paper, she thought it would be best for her to stick it inside her inner ear canal. She did feel some relief after doing so.
Except at that time when I saw her, she could barely hear. And she started having pain inside the right ear. I could have denied her request to be seen and just had the jail doctor treat her that morning. But I didn’t want to do so without even trying to help her out.
Focusing the special guided light, I saw a little wad of toilet paper stuck inside that covered the whole foramen of that inner canal. Fortunately, there was no sign of infection around the affected areas. She probably couldn’t hear because the paper blocked the whole canal.
Instilling some special eardrops, I waited a few minutes and started irrigating her ear with some warm water using a special kind of syringe. Only a small amount came out and even with a forcep, I only got out a little bit. At that time, the doctor was already there. Knowing that I had done my best, it was time for me to surrender and have the doctor do her part.
The doctor tried but still, the wad of toilet paper just wouldn’t budge. I took the syringe from the doctor. One morning nurse walked in and joined in by giving it a few more tries. She kept on irrigating the canal with warm water, this time, improvising with a special catheter tip for the syringe. All of a sudden, the entire paper came out!
The inmate beamed with joy! She kept thanking us knowing how hard the doctor, the other nurse and I tried and patiently treated her. Yet, during the entire process, her pain was minimized, despite the huge effort.
“I won’t do that again,” she promised. “I learned my lesson.” She smiled as she walked away to go back to her designated unit.
If there are situations that need our generosity, how much are you willing to give? Paul reminded us that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible, too.
“If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be quality.” - 2 Corinthians 8:12-13.
Powerful lesson sweetie, bless you.
ReplyDeletevery inspiring. With so many people asking for money and times being so tight now it is easy to become discouraged and feel as if one isn't doing enough. Your story shows that it is not just money that we can give but compassion as well.
ReplyDeleteAmen. I can learn a lot from this. Blessings dear one.... ♥
ReplyDeleteAnother great analogy and lesson here on patience and compassion and selfless giving. God has equipped you well for His service.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you for your encouragement on my blog today, with regard to my uncle. Your prayers mean so much.
AMEN!!
ReplyDeleteU have an award at arise 2 write!!
Very nice. I'm amused when I hear people say that if they had a million dollars they would put money in benevolence, give to missions, etc. I want to ask, "Well, you don't have a million dollars, but what are you doing with the money you DO HAVE?" That's what matters.
ReplyDeleteAmen Rosel! We have been blessed to be a blessing! Giving is fun when we know the Giver! Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt reminded me of a time when my youngest daughter got a plastic bead stuck in her ear and it was so far down that I could not get to it at all. She was crying because it hurt. I asked the Lord to help me know what to do. The first thing that came to my mind was to put the hose from the vacuum cleaner up to her ear and see if the suction could loosen it and bring it to the front of her ear so I could get to it. At first it did not seem to be working but after a couple of tries I could see that it was slowly moving closer to the front of the ear, but I still could not reach it. I tried one more time and there it Eventually as I kept doing trying, it completely worked and I did not have to load up 4 kids and go to the emergency room to do something that God could help me to accomplish myself. Thank you God! :)
This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing this scripture it really spoke to my heart today :)
ReplyDeleteRosel, Your blog always inspires. I haven't had the time to blog much lately but I wanted to stop by and see what you were up to. Always so up lifting.Thank you for shareing what the Good Lord has given you! Carol
ReplyDeleteI've always thought of it as giving out of the overflow of God's grace.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post, I found you from Jen2's blog. I love your blog and am now a follower. Thanks again,
ReplyDeleteLori
Rosel,
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to look at what we could be doing instead of making excuses for what we are not doing and why.
God gives us all special gifts to use for the good of God's kingdom and we just need to ask ourselves how are we applying those gifts to helping out God's people.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
My Sweet Sister Rosel,
ReplyDeleteYou have the kindest, sweetest, loving heart and soul. I've had so many operations and been hospitalized for so many physical things. You would have been the perfect nurse for me!!
The good Lord has prompted me by his commands in helping out others in so many different ways. For me, it's not a matter of what can I do, He always seems to plant me right where I am needed and in obeyance I act immediately. I can always tell when it's a God moment and the love and joy in helping others is unmeasurable to anything else in this world.
Thank you for encouraging and touching me so again my friend.
Love & Prayers,
Alleluiabelle
Wonderful words today my friend!
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are well I hope the scare of the flu last week has passed over oyu and your facility - I think of you often and even though I don't always have an opportunity to write - I hope that you always know how much your kind words of encouragement and your friendship mean to me. You are ALWAYS in my prayers as well dear sister!
Blessings to you,
Kymber
Your posts are so wonderful Rosel. You have such an interesting job and are definitely a LIGHT placed in the center of the hurting and bound.
ReplyDelete