Healing was one of the three core ministries of the Christ alongside the ministry of preaching and the ministry of teaching. Every person who is engaged in the healing profession today should seriously consider that it was Christ himself who demonstrated through his very life what it meant to genuinely care for others.
Christ taught that we cannot genuinely care for others if our hearts are focused on self-ambition or financial gain. We cannot be effective channels of healing if we view caring for others as a mere job and not a calling. We cannot lead others to true wholeness unless we ourselves deeply understand that it is only the Lord who has the power to heal.
I took up nursing 1987 primarily because of the encouragement of my parents and relatives. At the time I entered college, there were at least four female nurses in both my father and mother side who were based in the United States. All of them were financially stable and were regular sources of Christmas gifts mostly chocolates, canned goods, bed sheets and imported towels. We would receive pictures from them posing in front of the Christmas tree inside their apartments or in front of their cars wearing thick snow jackets in the winter time. It did not take long for me to understand that taking up nursing was a stepping stone to a better and more comfortable life. Being the eldest of the three daughters of a public school teacher and a private practicing architect, I desired to see greater financial freedom for my family. Although I dreamt of becoming teacher or a radio broadcaster, taking up nursing was not a totally bad idea. After all, my grandmother was just so eager to support me financially when she learned I was going to be a future nurse, and that I would be living in the States someday.
Nursing school was very tough in every aspect imaginable. More than the academic demands of the course was the physical exhaustion and the emotional energy that were required to deal with all kinds of people in the classroom, the community and the clinical setting. Although I was a few points shy of cum laude, our university gave me recognition for my writing, leadership and speaking skills. I was also one of those who received a special recognition for a complete attendance in the clinical area from 1st year to 4th year (no kidding!). By the God’s grace of the Lord there were four of us in our batch who landed 18th place during that year’s board exams. In a few months, I was hired at the Makati Medical Center where I worked for nearly three years.
My clinical nursing experience was very fulfilling and rewarding. Aside from the advancement I gained in the area of patient care, there crucial issues in life that I began to understand more. I saw up close that even the most moneyed people have no power to extend their life even just for one more day the moment God calls them home. I also learned that it requires moral courage to be a Christian nurse since there were many temptations to sacrifice excellent and quality care when no one is watching. I was promoted to assistant head nurse after less than two years and as planned, I was on my way to fulfilling my American dream. But one unexpected phone call changed everything. I was informed that I was being considered to occupy a full time position in our church where I managed to remain quite active from my high school days until my early working days. Of course I refused! No way! This was not my plan. Deep in my heart though, I knew I had given a wrong answer. I was given more time to pray and consider the invitation. It was a overwhelmed. I was hearing a call I was too frightened to answer. I was at the verge of fulfilling my dreams, but here was a voice calling me to let go, to obey and to trust completely. My mother cried when I told her of my decision to accept the offer. My father was too angry and too bitter to even speak to me when he heard what happened. When he finally broke his silence, his first words were, “You are such a disappointment.” My relatives were in shock. My nursing superiors thought I was making an unnecessary mistake. I began full time ministry work in January 1995 in the area of missions and discipleship.
At first I thought I had abandoned the nursing profession but as time passed God made me realize that I actually even went deeper into it. More and more, I saw the connection between the body and the spirit – – – the symptoms that manifest physically and the deep wounds that can only be healed spiritually by Christ.
Purpose — You, my fellow nurses, are Christ’s hands and feet. That is what gives the greatest dignity to what we do. Through our humble efforts, Christ is bringing hope, healing and help to a world full of sickness and pain. Let us not be tempted to trivialize or de-value our precious calling. Christ himself has warned us that there is more to life than worldly wealth or achievement. It is lonely at the top when we are alone. Our true contentment will never come from money but from serving Christ through the people we care for.
Perseverance — Caring for others is not easy or convenient. Unlike other professions that deal with numbers and machines, we deal with people- with all their complex issues, emotional baggage and overwhelming personal crises. When we are at the verge of quitting, let us remember that the One who paved the way for us to care for others gave his very own life. Any sacrifice we do is nothing compared to what Christ has done for us. It is a great honor to care for others. It is a privilege to share in the work that Christ has done and continues to do.
Power of Christ — As nurses, we have often seen many people take their last and final breaths. Those gripping moments are precious and unforgettable. They have a way of reminding us that our most noble efforts are inadequate at times. Our most sincere and competent interventions can only go as far as God will allow. Certainly, w do our best, but we leave God the rest.
It’s been 15 years now. My father and I have reconciled. He never stopped loving me and believing in me after all. I only needed to give him time to understand, to process and to heal. God’s interruptions never damage or cause harm. They bring greater fulfillment in all we do. They bring greater sense and meaning to every effort we exert by the grace of the Lord.
Take heart, my fellow nurses for there is so much work to be done! Let us honor our true purpose. Let us always persevere. We are but vessels. It is Christ’s power that heals. It is his love that makes us whole. So, let us take delight in our precious calling! Let us continue to care, to love, to give ourselves and to believe in what the Lord can do in us and through us.
