The Pit, part 2

I guess it should have been more apparent to me. I'm talking about my gift. A few of you replied via e-mail and said just about the same things. It's funny how I took it for granted because it's my chosen career. That is no coincidence, I'm sure. Our gifts are not only a talent that God has blessed us with, but it is usually something we love doing. I was reminded of that when reading the comments. I had a couple of people tell me that I'm compassionate and nurturing and show it daily in my job. I guess I didn't consider it because a job is just a job, right? Well, to some it is a just a job. But for others, like me, you can be blessed to actually have a job doing something that you love doing. And that's where I find myself. I think a lot about giving up my job to be a stay at home mom. It's something that we would really have to sacrifice to make it work financially. I'm willing to make the sacrifice, but what was surprising for me to find is that I'm not as willing to giveup my job. Being a nurse is a wonderful way for me to incorporate my talents and use them for God's glory. I found myself just this week being in a position to give comfort to a new mom whose baby was sick. She was stressed, hormonal, sleep deprived and way overwhelmed. I found it interesting that out of all the other nurses that could have been assigned this patient, I was. I don't believe in coincidence. I believe that God puts us where he needs us to be his angels on earth. Another nurse may have not spent the extra 30 minutes letting mom cry it out or holding the baby while mom ate her lunch while it was hot or sit in the room just so mom could walk the halls and not feel guilty that baby was all alone. I was the chosen one because God knows those feelings are all still very fresh in my mind and knew that I would be the most sympathetic and helpful to that mom.

Don't get me wrong. I don't always go the extra mile. I am human after all. I have chosen to sit at the desk and read e-mail rather than get up and get the beeping IV that doesn't belong to my patient. Or I've stayed in the lounge 5 extra minutes at lunch even though I know the other nurses need breaks, too. I can be very selfish with my time at work, especially when the clock strikes 7 and it's time for me to go home. God usually sends me reminders to help me to consider how the patients or their families feel. The reminders are usually very painful. But they help me put myself aside and do what is needed to help another. There are 2 such reminders that will remain vivid in my head, like they just happened yesterday. One is when my mom was in the ICU and well she was dying. I had just flown in from Massachusetts where I was living at the time. It wasn't a posted visiting time and it didn't matter how much I begged, cried or pleaded, the nurse wouldn't let me in to visit. I can honestly tell you I still hold bad feelings in my heart towards this person. You see, later that night she lost consciousness and never regained it. Ever since then, it didn't matter what I was doing or how busy I was, I always let a patient's family come in to visit---No matter if it was "visiting" time or not. That would get me into trouble at times with administration, but I always stood up for the patient and their family. I didn't want to be the reason someone didn't get to see their loved one for perhaps the last time. I'll tell you about the #2 time later.

Lesson of the story....God gives you gifts. Use them for his glory. If you forget what they are, He will remind you. And sometimes the reminding isn't so much fun. Gotta go to sleep now so I can be rested to do share my gifts tomorrow!