Chaplain Darren C. Tourville on attachments to patients

You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille

In nearly nine years of hospital chaplaincy, I’ve come to expect deeper attachments with certain patients and families than with others. Recently, while working a weekend shift and covering our entire hospital I experienced one such attachment.

I was paged by nursing staff and asked to read the Bible to Lucille, the lady in 5613. The nurse shared that she was extremely busy and didn’t have the time that Lucille demanded of her. Upon arriving at the room I noticed that Lucille was asleep. I went to the nursing station and inquired of the nurse and she told me to go ahead and wake her because she would be disappointed if she missed an opportunity to hear "God’s Word."

I went back and knocked on the open door and slowly Lucille’s eyes opened. Before I could even introduce myself she blurted out, “Sit down and read the Bible to me.” I asked if she had a favorite book or passage and she said she wanted to hear me read Colossians. So I started in chapter one and, as I read, this frail 91-year-old sat up in bed and listened intently to every word coming out of my mouth. It seemed as though she was feasting on her daily bread. After reading two of the four chapters in Colossians I was paged to attend to another matter. I excused myself and told Lucille that I was working the following day and hoped to see her again.

On the drive home that evening and until I came to work the next day, Lucille was on my mind. Hoping that I’m a blessing or of some comfort to patients is often a desired goal, but realizing that they are often the ones blessing and comforting me often becomes the deeper reality. That short encounter with Lucille brought me such blessing.

Arriving the next morning at Lucille’s room I was in for quite a shock. Her room was empty. My heart literally fell to the floor. Knowing that Lucille had not died during the night (we keep a log of such happenings in our office), I tracked down the nurse and found she had transferred to another floor. Thank you, God! She had not gone back to the nursing home. I needed to be blessed by Lucille at least one more time!

Upon arriving at her new room we once again skipped small talk and went right back to where we had left off the day before. Once again, Lucille sat up in bed and gobbled up her daily bread. Even when I came to Paul’s urging in chapter 3 for us to put to death whatever is earthly, Lucille seemed transformed.

Right after I had finished the last line of chapter four and the book was done, a visitor came in the room. Lucille’s great niece and her family had come to bless their aunt by their presence. I thanked Lucille for letting me read to her these two days and excused myself. As I exited the room I mentioned to the niece how much Lucille loved to listen to Scripture. The niece said that she had always been that way.

Upon further reflection I know now that Lucille reminded me of my last living grandparent, Grandma Tourville, and how she had loved God’s Word too. She died over a year ago at the age of 92. You see, it’s okay and even normal for chaplains to get attached to those we care for.

Kenny Rogers was singing about a different Lucille with different circumstances than my Lucille, but I echo his #1 hit as well: You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille.

Do you have thoughts about spiritual development you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail of any length to info@PlainViews.org.