Today’s author is Rev. Ruth Sorenson, Director of Spiritual Care at Lyngblomsten.
I was finishing up a visit with a new resident and, as I often do, I asked her if she needed anything before I left her room. “I’d like to be in bed,” she said. “Well,” I responded, knowing that she was unable to transfer herself into bed without the help of a nursing assistant and a Hoyer lift, “let’s press your call light button.” “What happens when you press the button?” she asked. “Help comes,” I said. The call light button is a fixture of any hospital or care center room, letting staff know that the person is in need of assistance. Many of the residents I visit have large reminders posted in their room that say, “Remember to press your call light button when you want to transfer from your chair to bed,” or whatever help they may need to prevent a fall.
As a kid, I remember feeling frustrated when my grandpa would do something inadvisable without asking for help, like attempting to climb a ladder, shovel heavy snow, or try to lift something too heavy for him at his age. I thought he was old enough to know better. Turns out, he was old enough to remember when he could do all those things without a second thought. And he was old enough to be grieving the things he could no longer do without putting himself at risk for a fall or a cardiac incident. Turns out, as an adult I now know all about the mix of emotions that come alongside needing a little help.
At some point along the way of life, we all go from needing help with almost everything, to being independent to various degrees, to returning to a state where we need more help. But every age and stage does include needing a little help, it’s just a part of being human. The reminder to “press your call button” isn’t because we don’t know better, but because sometimes we need a gentle reminder that we can (and should!) ask for help.
We were created to be in community with one another, taking turns giving and receiving help and love. We all need the reminder to press our metaphorical call light buttons from time to time, and we all need practice using our resources. Maybe for you pressing your call light button means spending some time in prayer and meditation. Maybe it’s reaching out to a friend when the loneliness hits. Maybe it’s admitting that you can’t navigate the grief, the pain, the addiction, or the depression by yourself anymore. Maybe it’s seeking professional help, or taking a risk to learn a new way of responding to challenging situations, or being brave enough to say, “I don’t know.” The good news for us is that, indeed, help comes. Help comes from other people, the natural world around us, in silence, in the word made flesh, and from God. May you remember to press your call light button, and may you trust that ultimately our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.