Returning from the county hospital after being admitted for a day, the female inmate gave me her yellow wrist band marked “Prego” [pregnant], as I gathered my instruments to take her vital signs.
“I don’t need this anymore, right?” she asked.
“You’re right! And just to let you know, your prenatal vitamins would be discontinued also and your bedtime snacks.”
The day before, she had continued bleeding. It was her 6th pregnancy I gathered. She told me that she had previous complications, too from her past pregnancies. She had 3 alive children and the rest, she ended up having miscarriages, including this last one.
Speaking calmly, she didn’t appear to be in distress. She answered appropriately with all of my queries pertaining to her health.
“How are you? Tell me, what are you thinking now about this loss. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“No. I’m okay Ma’am. I’m okay with it since I always had problem sometimes from the past,” she replied, her gaze meeting mine. Her penetrating cold stare that seemed to evade any empathy from my part.
“Okay, I just want to let you know that if much later on, you feel like you need to vent out, help is available. So, just put a sick call request from your unit, “I advised.
“Thank you Ma’am. May I go back to my unit now?”
“Of course! I know you must be tired. Just keep drinking lots of water, too as long as you can tolerate that,” I added.
After handling out her yellow pass so she could go back to her housing, her shadow slowly disappeared from the hallway of the clinic’s female side. No other inmates would know what she had just gone through, just by merely looking at her.
She might not have accepted my offer of help. But that was okay, too. Because deep in my heart, I know that our strengths were given to us to help us serve. God is the One rejoicing when we change our “How can I help myself?” attitude to “How can I help others?”
And that strength is for service, not for status. No matter who is in front of us, true service is helping them out without any bias and without seeking for praises or even recognition.
The right attitude when serving others arise from loving God first. When our motive is to love God and please no other, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving others.
There’s a big difference when we look at our workplaces as just “a job” versus an area where “we can have that opportunity to faithfully serve God and man.”
“Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.” -Colossians 3:23,24
“You are the light of the world---like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” - Matthew 5:14-16
“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me to your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” -Matthew 25:35,36
Then, these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?” -Matthew 25:37-39
And the King will tell them, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.” -Matthew 25:40
