HELLO, NURSE FRIEND!
GOD LOVES YOU!
SURPRISED BY LOVE
So, the schedule just came out, and you are working Christmas Day…again! In nursing school, you told yourself “Soon, I will be a nurse, and I will probably have to work every Christmas day. Goodbye, family! From now on, I’m working each Christmas day!” As cynical as it sounds, this statement might resonate with you as you consider what year-round responsibilities of being a nurse entail. You know that just because it’s Christmas Day doesn’t mean the whole world will stop being sick. You help your patients each day of the year, ensuring they have the best medical treatment for any disease or illness, and working Christmas Day is just another day of managing those who are sick. If you’ve ever worked on Christmas Day, were you surprised by love? While I thought working Christmas Day would exclude the joy and love of Christmas, I was surprised at what happened in my life when the joy and love of Christmas came to me!
While working at a large teaching hospital, I remember one particular Christmas Day seeing visitors arriving to visit their sick family member. With pep in their step, they arrived to bring gifts and songs of Christmas carols to their Loved Ones. With surprise, I watched what I expected to be a rather quiet somber day of sadness at being in the hospital, to one of joyous smiles and hearts bringing cheer right to the bedside of the sick. These visitors also included gifts of food items and specialty candy for those of us on staff who served their sick family members. While I knew, outside the hospital, there would be families who would be exchanging gifts, love, laughter, and time with their closest Loved Ones; I did not expect this to happen inside the hospital. But that is exactly what happened! The families of my patients brought Christmas right into the hospital room! With love and joy on their lips, they brought my sick patients a reason to have joy on Christmas Day regardless of being hospitalized! And, also those of us who were missing our own family Christmas Day experiences!
The privilege of being a pediatric home health nurse means providing sick children with a nurse every day of the year. These sick children would need a nurse each day, including Christmas Day! On one Christmas Day, as I got dressed, and, during the drive to my patient’s house, I was thinking this would be rather awkward for a non-family member to be present on what is typically a very family-centered intimate time of reflection and sharing. As we prepared my patient for the family Christmas morning gift exchange, the family members spoke of love and cheer. Anticipating the awkwardness of this typically intimate moment, I was prepared to sit, alone, in the bedroom allowing the family to gather in the living room for their gift exchange. However, much to my surprise, the family had thought of me and included me in their exchange by having a gift ready for me to open. The family had thought beyond their own dealings with a child who would never enjoy normalcy, by including me on their gift list. Wow…my thoughts went from awkwardness to that of being grateful I had chosen to serve on this most precious day of the year.
Nurse Friend don’t be hesitant to serve, no matter what day of the year! If you are required to work Christmas Day, I pray not only will you be able to give love, but you will find love will come to you!
JESUS, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
With delight in his face, my husband demonstrated to me a Christmas present from his brother. His gift is the Streamlight Stinger DS LED flashlight. This light is an LED flashlight which puts out an enormous amount of light. This new gift has multiple settings for whatever reason you find yourself needing a light. The brightest setting of this new tool allows the user to have access to its enormous 3750 lumens of light. Boasting of its capabilities, but, qualifying the greatness of the light is available for a limited 30 seconds. Using this flashlight the once dim space would now be completely illuminated with this creation of man’s wisdom. In all of their doings, man has proclaimed their astonishing feat to be a light which brightens a dark space.
Within minutes, my mind thought of the Light of the world, Jesus, who is our everlasting light. Man would not be his creator. Man would not have been able to consider such a miracle. This light would not be created in a lab, or factory. There would not be a patent which would bring millions to the inventor. Rather, the most loving God of all of mankind, in all of His infinite wisdom, provided what man needs, but, cannot provide himself - a Savior. God has given us the greatest of all Lights, an everlasting light. In his eternal wisdom of knowing the light and love the world would need, this calendar month, we celebrate the greatest light of all eternity, Christ, the Savior of the world. There is no limit to Christ eternal light! Since the star appeared guiding the wise men to his manger, Christ has been the light of the world.
So many Christmas carols we sing allow us to reflect on this glorious light come from God. One less known carol is “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” The third verse of this song includes the words, “Rank on rank the host of heaven; Spread its vanguard on the way, As the Light of light descendeth; From the realms of endless day, That the powers of hell may vanish; As the darkness clears away.” We hear the writer description of a Savior who would bring an eternal light to all of mankind. His light would be that offering of eternal relief from the darkness of sin and death. Only Christ can offer this eternal light from heaven to earth.
Let your heart and mind reflect on the line in the Christmas carol “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Verse 3 of this beloved carol says, “Son of God, love’s pure light; radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace.” Wow. If a light could have a name, the brightest, which will forever illuminate, would be called Jesus. Jesus is God’s expression of pure love given to all mankind. For eternity, Jesus will shine as love’s brightest Light! His light brings the most purest of gifts to man; that of salvation!
In the Christmas carol “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing,” we delight in the line “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings…” Again, we sing of our God providing the baby Jesus, who, although came to us through the virgin, He is of a heavenly origin. The writer of that song even capitalizes “Sun of Righteousness” knowing he writes of our eternal light bringing us righteousness through His redeeming blood.
Oh, the glory and majesty of our King’s eternal light! While my husband’s new highly powered 3750 lumen Streamlight Stinger DS LED flashlight will give temporary relief from darkness, it might also need a new bulb, batteries, or even break. But, the love and light Christ brings will remain for eternity. His light and love offers eternal salvation for all who will believe and receive Him!
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31 DAYS TO RECHARGE YOUR HEART AND HAVE MORE JOY
With this devotional find space and receive healing and encouragement for your spirit. Take the weight off your feet and the weight off of your heart with a daily break from your nursing work and find refreshment.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS TIMELY DEVOTIONAL FOR NURSES.
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WHEN THE NURSE IS SICK
On a daily basis we nurses are guiding our patients to their exam area, orienting them to their new environment, reviewing protocol of and expectations as they are in our department, providing medications, treatments, teaching new self-care remedies, etc. Taking care of the sick and dying patient is just what we do, daily.
But, what if the nurse is the patient? Perhaps you have found yourself receiving a diagnosis you were not expecting. The doctor’s office call back included an invitation to come see him, personally; and as a nurse you know what this means. As the nurse, you have helped numerous patients and families with devastating news of a serious diagnosis. As your doctor explains your diagnosis your nurse mind goes directly to the module in med/surg, or a specialty rotation when you studied this disease.
Nurse Friend, can I tell you, Christ, himself, suffered infirmities. He suffered any emotion and physical challenge known to humans. He did this, for us! Isaiah 53:3 says he is one who has suffered and is familiar with grief. Isaiah 52:14 describes Jesus after being beaten, he was disfigured, and, having suffered so much physical punishment, he was unrecognizable. Matthew 26:38 says Jesus was crushed with sorrow, to the point of death.
Jesus knows our sorrows. He is acquainted with our grief. He knows the sting of pain and the finality of death. His heart can understand our angst, worry, grief, doubt, fear, or rejection after treatment. While some of our family and friends may have never experienced the pain we have, Jesus absolutely and repeatedly has been there!
If you are the one who is sick, your suffering is not strange to him, nor is it impossible for him to understand. The most blessed hope is He has been there. He knows exactly how to hold your heart sure and strong as you lean on him and melt into his power to carry you.
So, while you may be the patient, my nurse friend, Jesus remains your Savior. Cry out to him, today! He understands!
Today’s Prompts
Have you or a close nurse friend been found to have a new medical challenge?
During your medical crisis journey in what ways have you seen the miraculous hand of God providing for your passage through this season of sickness?
How can you pray for the nurse you know who might be facing a medical crisis?
Today’s Scripture
Second Corinthians 1:3-4 “3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Today’s declaration
“According to 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, I, ______________, will praise God. He is full of compassion toward me. He knows my troubles. He will comfort me so that I am able to comfort others.”
-PEGGI HUDSPITH
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Are you taking the coveted time to yourself to read God's Word...
God's letter to you is for every issue of life! Luke 5:16 says Jesus would remove himself from the crowd and go to a quiet place... I would think that if alone time is good enough for Jesus, it's necessary for me, too! I do covet these quiet moments. As I homeschooled my children, I learned Susanna Wesley mothered and schooled her numerous children. Most famous and known to us would be two of her sons, John and Charles, who would make history with their winning of thousands of souls to Christ! Do you know with numerous children in the house it might have seemed impossible to find the coveted alone time?! But, Susanna was known to place a scarf over her head for her quiet times. And, while the children would have been in close proximity, they would also see this outward sign as the time to leave mommy alone! I implore you to carve out time, daily, to quiet yourself, read God's Word and listen for his beautiful voice. Nurse Friend! Moments like these are what has brought you and I together! Such beautiful moments, such as these is where God will gently and beautifully express just what it is HE wants to do in my life.. And, I am forever grateful!
Won’t you quiet yourself, today, and listen for your Heavenly Father?
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Psalm 95 is a powerful invitation to worship and praise the Lord, acknowledging His sovereignty and the wonders of His creation. The psalmist exclaims with joyful urgency, calling on all to sing and shout to the Rock of their salvation. The verses beautifully describe the Lord's majestic power and His authority over all things, from the depths of the earth to the heights of the mountains, the vastness of the sea, and the formation of the dry land. The psalm continues with a call to humble worship and bowing down before the Lord, recognizing Him as our God and the loving Shepherd who cares for His people. It then takes a solemn tone, reminding the reader of the consequences of turning away from God and hardening one's heart, as the Israelites did in the wilderness. The psalmist reflects on God's anger towards that generation and His declaration that they would never enter His rest. Psalm 95 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of heartfelt worship, gratitude, and obedience in our relationship with God.
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