31DaysOfLifeAsANurse_Hope

When a person comes through the operating room, for whatever reason, elective surgery, injury, cancer, heart disease, the thing that keeps him going, his family going is hope.

Hope for a cure, for healing, for recovery.

Hope is something we all need as individuals. It doesn’t matter if a person believes in God or not. Without hope, a person will not be able to weather the storm of illness. 

“But anyone still alive has hope; even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9:4‬ ‭NCV‬‬

And when a person doesn’t believe in God, I do. It’s my calling to believe enough for that individual, to encourage him to take heart, to convince him I have enough hope for him as I do for myself. Because I know God is good. I know all who belong to him will be saved by him. Even when the odds seem impossible. God saves people every single day. 

Because

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in heaven” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6:19‬ ‭NCV‬‬

Jesus lives. And he loves you! Hope in him. 

This is day 28 of 31 days of five minute free writes. Be sure to head over to Kate’s blog to participate or read along or both.

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31DaysOfLifeAsANurse_Perhaps

From the year 2008 through 2013, I pursued missionary nursing with passion. It’s all I could think about. Once the idea was properly planted in my brain, after I realized you are never too old to start something new, I took off out of the gate like a sprinter at an Olympic dash.

I ran so hard and so fast onto the mission field that I lost sight of what my family wanted or needed. It didn’t take long for me to burn out either.

I think the worst thing about it was how absolutely I loved it. Being in Africa, helping people who might not otherwise ever be helped if not for the goodness of God and people willing to obey his call.

But at what cost? When I finally was sent home, I was exhausted through and through. I was so singularly focused on doing the right thing for God, that I lost sight of God himself. Before I came home, he spoke to me.

⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, (Michelle, Michelle,) you are worried and upset about many things. ⁴² Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her.”

Two years later, I am resting in Jesus. I am resting knowing he has called me to minister to the people in front of me, the ones I meet on the road of life. No more sprinting. No more exhaustion. Just peace and quiet and hiking and livng one day at a time.

Would I ever go back to Africa? Haiti? Perhaps.

This is day 27 of 31 days of five minute free writes. Be sure to head over to Kate’s blog to participate or read along or both.

31DaysOfLifeAsANurse_Whisper

6 years ago, I worked on a heart team in Florida. On this particular occasion, I went to the holding area to pick a woman who was having a redo heart surgery. She was a young woman. As I walked into the holding area, I could tell by the conversations she was having that she was into new age spirituality.

When I introduced myself, she looked at me with a very odd look in her eyes and said,

I was here before Jesus Christ ever was…

Shocked, I physically stepped back. Something was very wrong with this picture. Immediately, I consulted the Lord.

What kind of spirit was in this girl? Did it see the Holy Spirit in me?

My mind was racing with questions and possibilities until I laid them all aside to focus on the reason we were there in the first place, heart surgery.

After I wheeled her into the OR and got her all situated on the table, after she had some antianxiety meds onboard, I leaned in closely to her ear and whispered,

Jesus loves you. He will be with you for this operation. He will watch over you and keep you safe. I will be praying for you.

Then she looked at me with the eyes of a normal, scared girl and said,

You would pray for someone like me?

Yes I would. Because at the name of Jesus, the enemy has to leave. Even in a whisper.I wonder where she is now? I wonder if she ever met Jesus. Lord I hope she did!

This is day 26 of 31 days of five minute free writes. Be sure to head over to Kate’s blog to participate or read along or both.