Musing out loud

Since I’ve been battling some fairly negative feelings about work, I decided to take an inventory and look for things that affirm my vocation as a JV this year. What follows is what I focused on, and then what I took away from it.



Scenario:


About a week ago, one of our tenants was trying to cross the street in front of our building. It was dark and raining, so it was hard to see him, and a driver hit him. (Don’t worry—he’s OK. Busted knee. He should be fine in 6-8 weeks.)


But I didn’t know that he was OK when I got the radio call that a tenant had been struck by a car. So I grabbed his medical file and sprinted out of the building, pulling on my coat as I ran. (I think my speed rivaled my sixteen-year-old self during track season). He was conscious and talking, so Irma and I weren’t really needed, but we hung out anyway to keep him safe from traffic. After they loaded him into the ambulance, we went back to the office and business as usual.


The following day, one of the guards was teasing me for how fast I booked it out of the building to the accident (The guards tease me a lot. Third grade was over a long time ago, guys…). Before he could go on, a tenant punched him in the shoulder (softly) and said, “Shut up. She loves us, that’s all.”


Thoughts:


“We are not called to be successful; we are called to be faithful.” –Blessed Theresa of Calcutta


Social justice is intimately linked with the dignity of the human person. Where that dignity is not being affirmed, there is injustice. So at its base, my job is to affirm the dignity of our tenants.


And the thing I am coming to realize is that, while I spend most of time trying to affirm dignity in the most practical of ways, like organizing home health care, scheduling doctor’s appointments, and making sure everyone is well fed and taking their medicine, those tasks are not really my primary function.


To affirm the dignity of the poor and marginalized, we have to start by loving them. My primary function is to love the people here.


I didn’t realize it, because so many days I look at my work as a long list of tasks to accomplish. But checking off all the items on that list is not why the tenants are happy that we’re here.


They’re happy that we’re here for the simple fact that they feel loved because we are here.


Mother Theresa’s words remind me that some days will not be successful—patients don’t always comply with doctor’s orders, doctors’ offices don’t always complete the paperwork we need, and people that we try to help don’t always survive. But the point of our efforts isn’t that we succeed every time; it’s that we keep trying because we love the people we’re serving. The mere fact that we show up and keep going every day is more important than winning every battle that presents itself.