Laughter is the Best Medicine

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Since being here, I've learned how true it is that laughter is the best medicine. Because without laughter, I think lives would fall apart. I think people would be so overcome by the grief in their lives and the lives they see all around them that they would literally just fall apart.
The staff and the residents have also learned this lesson. I think that sometimes we frighten visitors that come in because we seem to always be laughing and cracking jokes- where most people think that it is out of place and we should be a little bit more serious and a little bit more somber at a homeless shelter. But the truth of the matter is- half the time we have to laugh to keep from crying. The amount of pain and heartache and brokenness that come through these doors is almost unbearable at times. And I think that God has given us laughter to begin the healing process.
As I mentioned a while ago, I get to do case management with two of the ladies that live here. Basically I just meet one-on-one with them each week, check up on how they are doing and help them out if they are in need of anything. What I didn't mention is that one of the ladies suffers from Schizophrenia. Her story is sad and terrible- the life she has endured seems to come straight out of a horror story. The sheer amount of torture, abuse and betrayal that she has gone through has damaged her mind so badly that she is a grown woman with the mindset of a 6 year old- a very paranoid woman that is in desperate need of help.
I love this lady. I think she may be the funniest person I have ever met. I enjoy spending time with her, getting to know her and laughing uncontrollably with her (like when she had her shirt on inside out at the doctors office and we desperately scrambled to get it the right way before the doctor opened the door. We were almost rolling on the floor in laughter). But I also stress over her- she has a serious condition and it is evident in the way she behaves and thinks sometimes. She's certain people are after her- that's why she won't allow anyone to take her picture. She believes that different things are wrong with her (for example, she has bugs in her eyes) and doesn't believe anyone (including doctors) that there is nothing there. She sees and talks to this particular man- who the staff have come to understand is Satan. According to her, this man loves her. But he also (from what I've gathered) wants to harm others in her life. Getting the details from her are a little vague- it's hard to understand most of the time.
She has been to the Mission about 3 or 4 times now- the staff that have been here are very familiar with her. She stays for awhile- saves up her money- and then gets paranoid that the staff are stealing her money. Then she gets all heated up, demands to get the money that is in savings and leaves. Sadly she usually winds up in the hands of someone who is simply using her for the money that she has saved- another abusive relationship, another round of torment. After awhile she makes her way back here again, usually having been off her meds for quite awhile. It's a sad cycle that she just can't seem to break free of.

But this is the lady I work with. And since meeting her, I just have so many questions. Questions for God- because I have no idea why all of this has happened. I just don't understand why or how she can be so tormented by Satan (who she can see and talk to) when she believes in God and Jesus.

It's hard facing the realities of life- realities that pose questions that sometimes you just shrug your shoulders and say "I have no idea." The reality of coming face to face with a situation that is so far out of your league- "they didn't teach me that in Bible College". It's a challenge, but it's also a growing experience. I'm just still trying to figure out how I'm growing from this situation.