Today was my third day at my rotation and a very interesting day it was (only 7 weeks and 2 days left). One of my patients was very agitated and confused today and kept asking me if I had let her dog out. I tried to assure her that her dog was safe and she had nothing to worry about. But she kept asking and confusing me with whoever was responsible for her dog (if she truly had a dog). Fifteen minutes into our forty five minute session, I played along and eased her mind by telling her I had let her dog out and even gave him extra treats. For the remainder of our session, my role was no longer to be a PT but to be a dog watcher. Another patient I had today confused me with her husband when I returned to her room to bring back her slippers she had left in the gym. She wanted a cough drop and was half asleep yelling at her husband to give her one. I tried to explain who I was and offer my help but instead of telling me where she kept her cough drops; she said, “You always steal my cough drops. And I think you stole my blanket.” Before leaving, I found a cough drop and gave her the blanket off of her husband’s bed. Her real husband didn’t mind me giving away his blanket because he thought his wife kept the room too hot in the afternoons.
I am clearly not a husband and I am not a dog watcher (I am smart enough not to pick a job requiring me to be outside in the middle of winter) but I do have many roles. I am a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a niece, a physical therapy student (sometimes I just wear the nametag), a soon to be aunt, and a friend. ( I am in the process of becoming a professional bed maker but I have a long way to go) All of these roles define who I am and have a substantial impact on how others view me. My roles aren’t limited to labels; they are defined by how I carry out each role entrusted to me. Each day, I want to be remembered for who I am not what titles I possess. And the role I want to be remembered by most; is the role of a child of God. I want my sisters to see me as the one who prayed for them (and their families) daily more than I want them to remember playing barbies, long family car trips, or late night slumber parties. I want my grandparents to see the selflessness of Christ through my actions more than I want them to remember tea parties (with toilet water), sharing pie crust recipes, and lunch dates. I want my parents to remember my attempts to get them to church more than I want them to see my academic success, my maturity, and my accomplishments. I want my patients to feel Christ’s love every time I work with them more than I want them to remember total hip replacement precautions and proper body mechanics. I want my friends to see a witness to the message of truth more than I want them to see my laughs (trust me there are many), my loyalty, and my love. I want my little Gum nugget to remember the victory I claimed for his life when he was a week old fetus more than I want him to see the spoiling that will occur as soon as he is born. I want every role given to me to be overshadowed by my roles in Christ. I know my role in Christ. I know that I am a sinner in need of a savior. I know that I will meet Jesus one day. Do you? Or are the roles of your life overshadowing Christ? Our life isn’t defined by roles; our life is defined by how we allow Christ to use us to fulfill our roles. Christ has entrusted us with His children; He has entrusted us with a very valuable role. A role that will ultimately be our legacy.
I can pretend to be anything I want (Tomorrow, I may pretend to be sick so I can stay home and escape the evils of my rotation) and I can add to my list of roles for the rest of my life. But I can’t leave a legacy of Christ if I don’t make Him visible in every one of my life’s roles. I can’t fulfill the most valuable role every given to me.
Verse to remember: Romans 1:5-6 5 Through him and for his names sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you are also among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
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