Journal of Sacred Work

Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.

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Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.

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Days 20-21 – Being Seen

January 20, 2010

"'I see you.' These words were music to my ears." -Sarah Chand, describing her rescue from the rubble in Haiti.

Sarah Chand, an aid worker from New Jersey, was trapped for fifty hours beneath concrete. She spent most of this time searching for daylight. Finally, she was able to reach toward a small opening. When a nearby rescuer told here she had been seen, hope flooded through her. She was rescured a short time later.

As I listened to Ms. Chand on CNN, I saw her joy over the moment of her discovery recreated. What a gift it was for her physical body to be seen. What happiness to be saved from the brink of death.

Each day and night in America's hospitals and hospices, so many sick patients are waiting to be seen. They lie inside weakened bodies hoping to be rescued. Sometimes they are seen and healed. Sometimes they are not.

What a gift it is to patients when caregivers are able to to be present enough to "see" the pain of others and to reach out from their hearts with healing grace. It is so much easier to focus in on a task than it is to open out to the needs of others.

Being seen. We all hope for that, whether we are trapped with physical injury or isolated emotionally. Reaching out with Love. That is the gift that heals the healer as well as the injured.

-Erie Chapman

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9 responses to “Days 20-21 – Being Seen”

Marilyn Donan

January 20, 2010

What a beautiful way of relating what’s going on in Haiti to our lives as caregivers. I wanted to relate a story about how I try to “see” patients.
I’m an ostomy nurse, and was taking care of a terminal patient. She had gone into unconsciousness and nearly died the night before, but had been coded and brought back. I sat down, held her hand and asked how she felt about being “brought back.” She gripped my hand and said she wished she could have passed away last night. I told her she needed to let everyone know what she wants now–most importantly her family. The patient said, “Well, that’s hard.” Her daughter was in the room, listening. She came to the bedside and said, “Yes, Mom, talk to us. Let us know what you want.” My work was done. I got up to leave, and the patient said, “Thank you. What is it you do here?” I’m the ostomy nurse.

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~liz Wessel

January 20, 2010

Thanks for sharing this poignant illustration of a Loving response to a person’s suffering, Marilyn.
Your simple yet beautiful message is so well stated, thank you, Erie, for continually inspiring us “to see” through the eyes of Love.
Last night I had trouble sleeping and I watched several video clips of news reports from Haiti. The enormity and impersonal nature of the death and destruction boggles my mind. To watch and listen to the rescuers coming from around the world, miraculous situations of people rescued, of families searching for loved ones as hope wanes for their survival, all give me chills. I pray for the people of Haiti and for their rescuers, for Love to sustain each one of them, provide them shelter, food, supplies, medical care and healing in this time of deep grief and great suffering.

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Barbara Mason

January 21, 2010

This has been devastating. As a personal note, my pastor has a long time friend he went to seminary with 30+ years ago. His son just graduated from Warburg and was at an orphanage with his wife and a cousin. The wife and cousing made it out alive, they heard Ben and connected with him verbally. His last communication was singing hymns and praises. I am on a medical leave and would do anything to get there and help for a while. I am overwhelmed, not non functional, but like you it is difficult to sit and watch this country day after day be hit by another and another aftershock. My prayers are there and my heart yearns for healing especially for the arrival of medications, and medical help. Thank you for this blog. Although I may not post I read

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melissa scott

January 21, 2010

oh Marilyn, what a beautiful gentle gift you have. I am so touched by your gentleness, you have inspired me.

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Sue Staley

January 22, 2010

Through tradegy a lost, poor nation is getting recogniton throughout the world of their unfair plight that has been there for quite sometime…. Why are the French so against them?

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Marie Ma

January 22, 2010

” Being Seen” is an essential need for all human beings.We all need to feel that we matter somewhere,,to someone.I have a friend that is a missionary in Haiti and she tells me of the continued hope and love of God that emanates from the Haitian people.
They have such trust and hope and love for the U.S. and have true belief that we want to help them in many ways.
All we can do is to pray for their continued strength and hope and endurance of the unimaginable at this most difficult time.
I am so proud that we are coming together as multiple nations to help out at this desperate time. The human spirit perseveres.

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Marily Paco

January 22, 2010

thank you Liz for sharing this Journal of Sacred Work … “Being Seen”, a powerful thought i will always carry as i care not only for my patients but for any soul, wherever we are, whatever the events, whoever we may be, it is great to know there is hope, there is love, there is God our Almighty Father, Healer, Friend and Lover. Who we ought to imitate and be for each other.

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xavier espinosa

January 22, 2010

I think about the reactions to this tragedy and I remember comedian Chris Rock’s comments about the New Orlean’s levy disaster “These people needed to be saved long before the levy broke” Whether it is a disaster in the hospital industry referred to as a “sentinel event” a traumatic death, a medication error or the death of a seemingly innocent, our reactions to each and every person we encounter should all be the same. It need not be a jarring event that makes us contemplate the existence of the other.
We are at our best- doing our best when we give everything we have. It is a true healer that is able to recognize that God is in everyone. It is a magical moment when a person looks into your eyes and we into theirs and see the Godness in each other.
During a difficult time in my recent past, I expressed my unhappiness with someone’s behavior with my mother. In her ever surprising wisdom she said to me “We are all born children of God. Each one born with the same mission- to be a saint. Each saint has their purpose. It is not for us to judge or criticize, but to respect as we would respect every saint. In in the end, it is God who decides if we have fulfilled our mission.”
Being seen is being transparent, no hidden motives, no expectation of reward. It is being sublime and having integrity in our intents and practices. When I was first beginning my work with the mentally ill, one person told me that at her worst she was “skin hungry”. She longed for the feel of tenderness of someone’s touch. To her this touch meant that she was someone deserving of worth.
Being seen- everyday, every way, in every thing by every person.

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~liz Wessel

January 22, 2010

Xavier,
Beautiful, simple, profound, wise, unconditional, refreshingly real! Thanks for being willing to be seen, born to be a saint, this you are!
love,
~liz

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