I spent some time recently in a VA hospital. No, I wasn’t ill, my father-in-law was. He’s a World War II veteran and relies heavily on the care of those who work at the VA. And I have to say the men and women in that hospital serve with pride, faith and joy.
From the guards who help us get through the metal detectors, to the orderlies, nurses and myriad technicians, it’s an amazing place. The halls ring with laughter, care and the constant proof of their faith. Many of them are believers. They don’t announce it, but if you open the door, the love of God comes pouring out.
While we were there this time, my father-in-law showed me the watch on his wrist and shared this story.
He’d been admitted to the hospital for congestive heart failure and had been there for several days when his watch quit. He fretted about it because it frustrated him not to know what time it was. Several people tried to help him fix it, but nothing worked.
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The next day a nurse came in and buckled another watch on his wrist.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“It’s your new watch.” She smiled at him.
“Where’d it come from?”
“I really couldn’t say.” And that was all the information he could pull out of her.
Someone on the staff had noticed his distress and taken the initiative to remedy the situation. They didn’t want any thanks or credit, they just wanted to relieve one veteran’s distress. It isn’t a fancy watch but it means the world to him, and he shows it to almost everyone he meets.
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I could go on and on sharing stories of the men and women in that VA hospital who’ve blessed my husband’s father—and by doing so blessed us. I believe this hospital isn’t the exception. There are probably a lot of people who could add wonderful stories from their own experiences with the men and women who serve our veterans.
I won’t argue that there are some issues with the bureaucracy behind the care our veterans are receiving. That’s not the point. I think it’s time to thank the thousands of people who minister to our veterans on a daily basis. They give everything they have to make sure our veterans are cared for with love and respect.
