Advocate

D&C 38:4 “I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.”

     This past summer I had a job which gave me a whole new insight and understanding into the meaning of the word “advocate.”

    I worked as a CNA, Certified Nurses Assistant, in a Rehab and Acute care center. One of my first patients was a woman younger than my mom who has been paralyzed from the neck down for the past 8 years from a tragic car accident. She was pregnant at the time of the crash. Luckily, her son lived, but he and his three older sisters are being raised by their grandparents and don’t visit my patient often. She is very particular about the way she likes things done, and because she can only operate her mouth, this makes her very demanding. When I first cared for her, I didn’t do something the way she wanted it and she snapped at me. I took it personally and hoped to never work with her again. 

    Then, I started thinking about her and her situation. All of the other CNA’s talked behind her back and groaned about being assigned to her room. They would neglect to answer her call light because they knew whatever she wanted would be picky and time consuming. I decided I was going to be different. I decided to love her with everything I had. I would fight her battles for her, because she has a body that cannot. I asked the management if they would please assign me to her room every day, so that I could be her advocate, get her what she needed and how she wanted it, and defend her to the other staff. I became the master at her particulars, and she and I became very close friends.

    This is the way the Savior is. He knows we’re prickly and difficult. He knows who is talking behind our backs and who dislikes us. He knows our abilities. He has felt our pain and sorrow, happiness and joy, sin and mistakes. He is our advocate with the Father. He fights our battles for us. I love Him.