|
As the
dreaded Y2K rapidly approaches, we can take heart. We have
the inside scoop. The Lord promises us, "Surely there is
a future, and your hope will not be cut off" (Prov 23:18).
Long before there were computers with glitches, God said,
"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD,
plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future
with hope" (Jer 29:11). The key to that hopeful future lies
in our calling. Ephesians 4:4-7 tells us, "You were called
to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and
through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according
to the measure of Christ's gift."
Nursing
has always been a calling, although in recent years some
have questioned that. However, our calling to a specific
ministry in nursing is part of a larger calling. God called
Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Hos 11:1). Slavery had its
perks-good food, a secure livelihood, familiar surroundings-but
it required allegiance to a master concerned only about
selfish gain. Sound familiar? Today we, too, are called
"out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9).
We are called into that light to find fellowship (1 Cor
1:9), freedom (Gal 5:13), righteousness (Is 42:6) and hope.
In fact,
the benefits of our calling described in Scripture far outweigh
our wildest fears of Y2K. Colossians 3:15 tells us, "Let
the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed
you were called in the one body. And be thankful." Isaiah
43:7 tells us that we have been called by his name and created
for his glory. We are given an identity and a family in
Christ that nothing can shake. Rather than cower in fear,
we are to "know what is the hope to which he has called
you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among
the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his
power for us who believe, according to the working of his
great power" (Eph 1:18-19).
With
the benefits of that calling, however, come serious responsibilities.
It is here that our calling into nursing coincides with
our calling in Christ. "For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example,
so that you should follow in his steps" (1 Pet 2:21). Our
calling is glorious, but it may not be easy. We may have
to suffer, for we are called to "through love become slaves
to one another" (Gal 5:13) to "lead a life worthy of the
calling to which you have been called" (Eph 4:1) and to
be holy (1 Pet 1:15). Furthermore, we are to "proclaim the
mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9), which can get us into big
trouble in some health care settings.
What
does this calling look like in today's nursing? It is the
nurse who can honestly say, "I love my job!" in the midst
of chaos. We love our jobs, not because they are perfect,
or even comfortable, but because we have a sense of mission
and a vision of what might be. We cling to God's promise
that "to those who are the called . . . Christ [is] the
power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:24). We look
at the suffering of those in our care and know that through
Christ we can bring hope and healing. We approach the broken
systems that attempt to organize care with hope, allowing
God to use us as his instruments of change.
Consider
the "hopeless" situations that faced nurses in the past.
Florence Nightingale could have gotten on the next ship
home from the Crimea when she witnessed the bleak conditions.
Instead, she stayed and changed nursing forever. At age
seventy-six, Clara Barton went to Cuba to care for the wounded
in the Spanish-American War. When faced with rejection by
the U.S. Army and deplorable conditions on the field, she
forged on, caring for the Cuban injured until the efforts
of her nurses brought such dramatic results that the army
doctors finally begged her to come back. Both of these nurses
were inspired by a sense of calling from God.
What
is God calling you to do in nursing? Foremost, each of us
is called to provide compassionate, competent nursing to
everyone entrusted to our care, to view each person as the
image of God who deserves dignity and honor. We are also
called to work together with our colleagues with integrity
and respect. We are called to share the love of Christ through
our words and actions. However, some of us will be called
to change systems-to volunteer for policy-making committees,
to rise to positions of influence in nursing and health
care, perhaps even to run for political office. You may
be called to write for professional journals, to teach or
to conduct research. You may find yourself redefining and
reforming nursing. Whatever God calls you to do, remember,
"The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this"
(1 Thes 5:24).--JAS
|
