Doctors, Nurses, and Others: The Ministering Hands of God

Once again, here I sit at my computer at 3 AM, although I long for sleep, and I really NEED to sleep, although my pillows are SO soft and inviting ..... still I just can't sleep when God starts prompting me to write. I sure wish He'd pick another time of day, though. Maybe it's natural that we hear Him more clearly in the wee hours when everyone else is sleeping, the TV's and noises of the day are silent. Okay, God, I'm all ears.

I've been thinking that if I had my life to live over again, I would choose to pursue a career in the medical field. This is because along my journey I have been so directly impacted by the many doctors, nurses, techs, and other medical professionals who have cared for me. NEVER DOUBT that you are the ministering hands of God -- just like in this picture. When I was young and considering a career choice I was scared off of the medical field because I was squeamish about needles and blood and such. How silly that seems now. If only I could meet my younger self -- I would slap me! I would so love to "pay forward" the kindness shown to me. What an awesome and direct way to minister to people's very lives!

I have just completed 4 weeks of daily radiation treatments and the wonderful ladies who treated me each day made it such a positive experience, in spite of the side effects I struggled with. They were always so cheerful and kind to me and just had a way of putting me at ease. God bless you ladies for the job you do!

There have been plenty of others, as well, such as the tech named Angel who I mentioned in an earlier blog. My chemo nurses are wonderful, skilled, and compassionate women. I can't even imagine how difficult and stressful their jobs must be, but their smiles and amazing care has made the difference in so many lives. I'll never forget the time they saved my life when I had an anaphylactic reaction. God has truly given them a gift for what they do.

Two women whom God has truly gifted are my doctors, Dr. Wu & Dr. Malek. Both are young mothers with families of their own, and yet such devoted instruments of God to the patients they care for. My oncologist, Dr. Wu, constantly fights for my life, and I can't think of anyone I would rather have fighting for me. I've had friends suggest, especially when my cancer came back, that I go to some special cancer center or seek out some new cutting edge treatment. But I know that Dr. Wu is an expert on all the latest treatments and is looking out for my best -- I couldn't get better care anywhere else! There have been times when she has sat and cried with John & I -- I know without a doubt how deeply she cares for me.

My primary doctor, Dr. Malek, is another amazing and gifted woman. How blessed I am that God brought her into my life! Her compassion and caring blows me away! As an example, just last Christmas day, I was sick and e-mailed her. Within an hour, on Christmas morning, she had answered me and called in a prescription for me -- saving my Christmas!

Unfortunately, I have also met a few who are at the other end of this spectrum and lack caring and compassion -- yet they are in this field anyway. I have seen the most hateful and heartless people caring for people in nursing homes, in the ER, and similar jobs. I realize that these are difficult and often thankless jobs and they require a special gift in order to be able to do it. People like this need to recognize that they simply do not have that gift and get out. The reason they are so unhappy in their jobs is that they are a wrong fit. Get out because you are hurting people.

I think I am a naturally compassionate person and I expect others' minds to work the same way mine does. This is why I am so completely blindsided when I encounter people who are void of compassion or morals. I've come across a few folks like this in hospital bureaucracy and also in medical insurance. I just cannot comprehend how someone can deliberately do things to delay treatment for a terminal patient or in some other way do things not in the best interest of another person's very life. Just can't get my mind around that. Part of me wants to say there's a special place in hell for folks like that, but I must say, Father forgive them and change their hearts as only You can.

I do an awful lot of praying whenever I go for treatments, tests, checkups, whatever and wherever. Prayer is free, easy, and powerful -- and I know we all need it! I pray for the guy in the parking lot, other patients in the waiting room, the nurses, the doctors.  I pray that God would continue to work through their hands to care for others, give them wisdom for the decisions they make, compassion for the people they treat. God bless them for the important work they do. They are truly God's ministering Hands.