Oh God, Where Are You Now?

(In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)

& I did not watch the Presidential address this evening.

I cannot watch him splaying his false hope to this desperate masses.

We want him to give us answers, results.

We get swept up in believing he really can.

Sorry, America, he is a man--not God.

I cannot eat anymore of his false hope--it is like swallowing chocolate covered poison.

It festers in your body even while the taste of chocolate lingers in your mouth.

America is looking to you, Mr. President. Many are throwing their last whispers of hope onto you.

But I?

I will not trust in Obama or government programs--

no, I will place my trust in the name of the Lord.

My help comes from the Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Mr. President, do not give your people a sense of hope that will soon turn to hopelessness.

Do not promise what you cannot deliver.

And if you do promise what you cannot deliver, I pray that it will turn people into the arms of the only real Hope this world will ever know.

:::
:::

I am being slammed around in the storm this week. So many tears. So many fears.

So much grief and turmoil.

While driving home from taking a test for employment, I came across this:


Photo Courtesy of ABC News

This is a picture of one of many black caskets and skeletons in Grim Reaper costume out in front of University Community Hospital

(which is also on a major highway in Tampa)

Big signs proclaimed:

"GRAVE PROBLEMS AT UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL"


The Sheet Metal Workers Union was protesting the poor healthcare provided at this hospital, as well as the large number of medical malpractice that has been discovered and poor doctors' ratings.


But I was GRIEVED.

GRIEVED.

Half a dozen coffins--Grim Reapers....in front of a hospital!!

My God!

Have Mercy!

I couldn't believe my eyes. So my eyes protested with water.

To imagine the Newmans driving to see Jonathan when he was in ICU--and there are coffins outside the hospital and skeletons.

A mock funeral of sorts.

To the young teen who is trying to show he is not afraid as his friends drive him to the hospital.

To a little girl going to the hospital for chemotherapy.

To the mother in labor.

To the ones who can't read English to understand what all this DEATH means.

To the old man going to visit his dying wife.

Such insensitivity!

Such callousness!

I called my mom--and after crying and praying...I drove back to go and speak to the people who were protesting.

They were not rude or mean to me.
They want to facilitate change.
They want to help bring serious concerns into the light.

So they gave me their paper on what they are protesting about--and I began to explain that I am grateful that they care--understanding and empathetic that they want to see improvement in healthcare.

But I don't agree with their delivery.

The two older guys referred me to a man in a Grim Reaper costume--making him appear to be about 7 feet tall, who was waving his arms near the turn for the hospital entrance.

I beelined my way to him.

I couldn't see his face or hands.

I told him that his method of delivery is hurting the people he would like to protect. He is causing them and their families grief.

I explained that an older woman from my church, Ms. B---, is in there with pneumonia. Her husband and daughter and grandchildren--I know them all. And presumably, they will be driving here today to see her. The idea of them seeing all this death, with their loved one so ill--it's disgusting.

Grim Reaper then began to rant (politely) about people who don't have healthcare and how the hospitals should take care of them better.

I told him, "Listen, I lost my job. I haven't had healthcare in 4 months. I have lung and esophagael conditions that require medication. I understand the troubles of not having healthcare."

Grim Reaper and his buddies have good healthcare, according to their paper.

I told him he's hurting innocent people--not helping them right now. Giving out information on the hospital's inaquacies and how to "blow the whistle" when there is medical malpractice--that is good. That is noble and right. But placing coffins and parading in death-like outfits in front of a place where many people are legitimately ill---that is emotionally ravaging to innocent people.

He basically told me the only way they were leaving was unless something would change, and that I should express my concerns about the hospital's patient care to the hospital itself.

Yes, I'm concerned about this poor-rating hospital.
But, I'm more concerned about Grim Reaper and his buddies, signs and coffins.

He is the one bringing distress.
Protest somewhere else--not in front of the hospital.
Do you realize someone lost a loved one there today?
And they have to drive past you waving to try to give them your brochure?

You cannot bring about life by masquerading as death.


Your message IS your delivery.
If you deliver a message about God's love, but speak with condemnation, what do you think people will hear?

If you want to change the healthcare of University Community Hospital, but put coffins and images of death outside its doors, what will the patients hear?

Fear.
Outrage.
Concern.

Aren't the patients dealing with enough grief without having to hear about this?
Aren't the worried family members scared enough?

Would you want your five year old to drive past coffins and skeletons to go see Granny in the hospital?

Would you want your eight year old with a broken arm to be taken to an Emergency Room where out the window she can see a man in a 7 foot tall Grim Reaper costume?

People are worried enough.
They are scared.

The sheet metal workers may have good and noble intentions with this protest...but I tell you, it hurts.


I cried so much.

These past two days have ravaged my soul.

I'm crying out, "God! God! Help the downtrodden! The poor, the weak, the hurting!"

Help us, Lord!

The government gives us false hope and treats us like a pawn.
The healthcare industry does not care for us unless we have insurance.
The people protesting use examples of people like me to put down a hospital in an awful way.

God, how long will we--the poor, the unemployed, the uninsured, the "lowly"--how long will be used as pawns by all these organizations?

We are people.

We have individual needs.

We are bruised from being moved around so much on the chessboard.

We are tired of going from agency to agency--from red tape to more red tape.

We are disgusted with those that are prostesting to "protect us", but cause distress and pain to us.

Oh God, God--I have the Hope of you.

I hurt so much for those that are in my situation without the hope of you.


oh God--God--there is such hopelessness--caused by organizations and industries that try to help.

Oh God--please--bring people to you--to your hope.

Oh God--help me. I feel so weighted down by these past two days.