Day 4 A&E

 The following events took place a couple of weeks ago.  Ben is fine.

I find myself sitting in A&E with Ben at 5 in the morning. We've been here all night because Ben has developed a rash which isn't disappearing under the pressure of a glass and a doctor friend has suggested that getting him checked out would be wise. It's busy. Most of the 25-30 people waiting have been here for many hours. Some over 12. The atmosphere is a bit fractious, not helped by a very drunk lad who is kicking off and a lady who tells anyone who will listen that this is the fifth time she's attempted suicide. She is getting stressed with waiting and intermittently bursts into tears. I'm sitting praying for her and wondering if I should go and speak to her and offer to pray. Drunk guy has left the building and security guys have gone too. But then drunk guy reappears and starts shouting that he's got no money and can't get home. Everyone is watching. But then all of a sudden suicidal lady gets up and approaches him, gives him a cigarette and follows him outside with her lighter. I'm thinking that I wouldn't be isolating myself with large aggressive drunk guy. But fragile, tearful suicidal lady chats to him kindly and then comes back in leaving him to his smoke.

Broken people see each other. They care about each other. They form a community of the lost. Jesus sat with these people.  I sit awkwardly with the 'respectable' ones.

Thankfully suicidal lady gets taken through to be seen. Drunk guy comes in, hits the fire alarm which opens all the locked doors to the wards, and he takes off down a corridor.  He is hotly pursued  by security guards. All that is missing is the Benny Hill theme tune (but it wouldn't be audible above the sound of the alarm.)  Theres a whole other world out there happening while we are asleep. Im very glad God doesnt slumber. The night-time hours need Him.