Darryl approached the Mobile Medical check-in with a limp. His hair was unkempt, his clothes dirty and his face weary. As he answered some basic questions, I was surprised when he said his age. A hard life had added many years to his face.
He was currently living in an alcohol treatment facility, trying to unlearn a lifetime of bad habits. Alcoholism was his way of masking the years of hurt. As he met with the volunteer medical provider, he was not short of words. He seemed hungry for the conversation.
After discussing various health concerns, the provider determined the reason for Darryl’s visit this day: a sprained ankle. What she did next reminded me of the servant heart of Christ himself. She bent down in front of his man, carefully removed an old, cracked shoe, tenderly removed a dirty, stinky sock and then lovingly wrapped his foot and ankle with a bandage. She never flinched. She never coughed. She loved him.
A variety of people with a complex web of needs come through our Mobile Medical Clinics each week. Each person comes with a medical need, but often they most need to be shown love, respect and kindness. Christ displayed this perfectly when he knelt in front of his disciples to wash their feet. He told them, “I have set you as an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15)
