By Rev. Erin Hicks
I came to chaplaincy in the midst of COVID, partly because, while it scared me, I knew that was where God was leading me. In my years serving as a chaplain, I have found people often reciting Psalm 23 when they find themselves at a loss for words.
I still remember discovering in seminary a deeper meaning in this psalm, where, at the beginning of verse 4, it can be translated: “When I walk through the deepest dark, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” For me, this is the heart of chaplaincy, journeying alongside individuals in the midst of their deepest dark, as a reminder of God’s presence with them.
Life can surprise us. We, as a people of faith, don’t always know what to do when our plans unravel, and our bodies don’t do what we expect or want them to. The patients I’ve encountered over these past five years can sometimes come with questions, heartbreak, anger, grief, and weariness. I’ve witnessed patients experience a peace that does not make sense apart from God’s presence with them. I’ve witnessed both the grief of what was happening to their body alongside the joy of God being with them, experienced at the same time.
At times I’ve heard people say that they know they shouldn’t be afraid or anxious or questioning. I always look back to the Psalms, where we find the range of human emotions. Our emotions are not separate from our faith, but a way for us to pray when we do not have words. When we release what we have been holding in, through tears or a smile or sheer exhaustion, God receives it as a prayer — our God who has just been waiting on us to trust Him with our whole being.
At Methodist Rehabilitation, I have the privilege of serving alongside patients and families as they work toward physical recovery, helping them find not only restored ability, but also hope along the way. I am honored to walk with people, or sometimes simply sit with them, in the midst of their deepest dark, trusting that God is at work even when we do not yet see it.
We do not serve a God who is distant. Rather, we proclaim a God who chose to be Emmanuel — God with us. A God who came in flesh to show us how to live and to show us how much God loves us. God is present in our deepest dark with us. God isn’t going anywhere. That’s why we can always trust Him and proclaim God to be our Good Shepherd, even when we walk through dark valleys.
I am thankful to serve at a place whose mission is to restore ability and hope, and for the opportunity to be a witness to the Light who entered the world, whom the darkness could never extinguish. Praise be to God for His faithfulness at all times.
Learn more and support our mission at methodistrehab.org.
