“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
Isaiah 43:2
This Nurses Week feels different for me. Usually, Nurses Week is about celebration, recognition, and remembering why we chose this profession. But this year, I find myself sitting in uncertainty instead of celebration. Quiet instead of confident. Questioning instead of understanding.
And maybe that is part of nursing too. What do you do when you truly believe you did everything right, yet things still fall apart around you? What do you do when you served faithfully, worked hard, stayed compassionate, studied, sacrificed, showed up for patients, and still ended up feeling unseen, discouraged, or displaced? As people of faith we often say: “We trust God” “Wait on God” “God is in control”. And I believe those things deeply. But I also believe that we need to be honest about something. Faith in the middle of the fire does not feel peaceful. Sometimes it feels confusing. Sometimes you pray and still cry. Sometimes you know scriptures and still feel anxious. Sometimes nothing around you makes sense, and no answers come quickly. There are moments when all you can do is ask God “What am I supposed to do now”? I think about how many nurses carry battles alone ? We walk into hospitals carrying grief, exhaustion, uncertainty, family struggles, finances, stress, and emotional wounds and still somehow still found the strength to comfort another human being. That takes more than skill. That takes endurance of your soul. This season has taught me that trusting God is not always about having clarity. Sometimes it is refusing to give up while you wait for clarity to come. Faith is not pretending that everything is ok. Faith is to continue moving forward even when your heart feels heavy. I do not have all the answers right now. I do not fully understand this season, but I am learning that God’s presence is not measured by how clear my circumstances are. Sometimes the stronger prayer is: Silence. Others is just: “Lord I don't understand, but please stay in this with me”
To every nurse who feels exhausted, overlooked, uncertain, or discouraged: Your worth is not determined by one moment, one evaluation, one opinion, one test, or one difficult season; keep going, keep learning, keep trusting even in the fire. Let’s pray!
Lord, In this season of uncertainty, we call upon you. Help me trust you even when nothing is making sense. When I feel discouraged, remind me that my worth is not defined by one moment or one outcome. Give me peace, when my mind is restless, strength when I feel weak, and wisdom for what comes next. Help us stay faithful through the fire knowing that you are guiding our steps even when we can not see the path clearly. Just as you fight for the three boys while they are in the fire please stay with me too. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were three Jews that were thrown into the firefly of a furnace to burn but they saw a fourth man into the fire that along with these did not get burned because you protected them as they were faithful to you. They called upon you while they were on fire. I am asking your mercy and gracious hand to take control of all nurses that call upon you for a big turn around. We know that you are God. Holy is your name above all. We know that no one mock the name above it all. Therefore, we rest and wait upon you. In the name of Jesus we pray! Amen
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