Sleepwalking and Faithfulness
We all have those uneventful weekends: the ones that pass by slowly, consisting only of late mornings, brunches, movies and homework (all done in only the comfiest of pajamas). I have a tendency to take these weekends for granted, but it takes one true whirlwind of 48 hours to remind me of the goodness of simplicity – as well as the beauty of a bit of chaos.
The weekend began with my housemates and me in our University Place living room eating food from Brisco’s and listening to the flag football games outside. Nothing could be more normal for a Friday night, and all was well. Saturday passed by in much the same way, with each of us doing homework, completing International Service Project applications and catching up on the week’s TV shows. My roommate and I had plans to see a play in San Diego the following afternoon, so we went to bed with our plans swimming in our heads, our outfits planned out and our minds at ease. Of course, a bit of a shock was bound to happen at this point in time…
After my roommate and I went to bed, I fell asleep quickly. The next thing I knew, I was awakened to exclamations of surprise and distress and found my roommate on the floor, clutching her nose and saying she needed help. I flipped on the light, took her to the bathroom and quickly woke up the others in the house. I asked my roommate what had happened, only to get a broken response:
“I… um… can’t remember… I… sleepwalking… dresser… ow, it really hurts!”
This was enough for us to put the pieces together and, after examining her nose, we decided it would be best to take her to the hospital for stitches. Thinking quickly, I called our residential assistant (RA) to let her know what was going on.
It’s times like these I am so thankful to live on a campus where caring, able help and friendship are just around the corner. Our RA answered right away, told us to wait two minutes and met us in the parking lot, wide awake and ready to join in on our little adventure.
Once we set out on our merry way to the emergency room, things were looking tense, yet hopeful. My roommate is a trouper, and she kept cracking jokes the entire way while thanking us for helping her out. Laughing in the face of uncertainty really relieved the tension, and our RA reminded us that we were going to be okay.
The hospital is just a short drive away, and we got there in no time at all. Our RA had not only taken care of the technicalities in making sure everything was documented and our safety was ensured, but also was a stellar example of friendship in the way she joked with us, kept the mood light and prayed with us. My roommate was all patched up in a matter of hours, and we were back on our way to campus equipped with pain medication, high spirits and a riveting story to tell.
I realize that this is in not an ideal way to spend a Saturday night in any way, shape or form, but it honestly served as an excellent reminder of the blessings we take for granted every day. Lazy weekends may be uneventful, but they mean that we have the luxury of relaxation and time to accomplish what we need to prepare for the week ahead. After this adventure, my housemates and I were reminded of the ways God protects and blesses us along each bump in the road (or tumble while sleepwalking). My roommate was very fortunate to have only hit her nose and not hurt herself further, and we were also blessed to have immediate help and clear thinking to solve the problem. Our campus staff was readily available to help, and we were able to laugh our way through it by the end of the evening. It’s moments like these when I am reminded of the blessing that is health, friendship and even frightening experiences. I sincerely hope that you have all had a much less tumultuous past few days than I have, but know that those times do bring with them stories to tell, lessons to be learned and blessings to be counted. Safe sailing, Readers!
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