Each one should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to him, and as he was when God called him” 1Cor 7.17
God will provide I remember of a group of nurses who came for retreat at Singapore. The retreat started with the awareness that God calls us for a specific purpose. During the first few minutes of the first session we started exploring why those young ladies from India were in Singapore. Most of them stated that they arrived from India to Singapore looking for greener pastures, looking for a better way of life. They said the truth but at a closer look at the purpose of lives they seemed to feel empty and confused. Eventually the group came to identify that God has called them and they needed to be concerned above everything else with the kingdom of God and ! “God will provide you with all these other things” Mt 6.33. These young ladies were worried and concerned about many things and when they realized that “ The father in Heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead be concerned with the kingdom of God and he will provide you with these things” Luke 12.31, they were ready to look at their lives from a different perspective. They came to know that most of the troubles they encountered in life was because of overconcern for material things. Many of them wanted a quick fix to their problems and within the retreat they began to recognize failures in life. Money didn’t buy them peace of mind. They looked closely at their call and life styles, which didnt match. I think ! I have heard the sahring towards the end of the first day itself "This session was an eye opener" . Prior to the first day of the retreat, only few of them discerned that their nursing career was a definite call to holiness. During the sessions, they looked differently at their healing minist. Bandaging the wounds and treating the ill people turned out not only to be a way of ,rather fulfilment of Jesus's call to them.. Jesus said “ I was sick and you took care of me” Mt.25.36. Jesus emphasized that treating the less fortunate is the best way to see Jesus. “I tell you whenever you did this to the l! east important of these brothers you did it for me” Mt. 25.40. Seeing Jesus in the less fortunate and the suffering people became a different experience for those nurses. The nurses took a solemn pledge to pray over the sick so that the patients may recover. These nurses got the awareness that they are called to heal the sick as Jesus healed. The nurses got empowered when they became conscious that being the believers they have the privilege to lay hands on the sick and to pray for them, as Jesus commanded. “They will place their hands on the sick and these will get well” Mark 16.18 Medical profession is an amazing field to touch and to heal the sick. It is not only medicine that heals. Total healing of the body and soul happenes when God touches the sick. If the eternal healer doesn’t function, the work of the doctors is in vain. I have heard from many doctors that they are not in command rather “ God is in command”. One day as I entered a patient’s room, one of my good friends, Doctor Bashoor (a famous cardiologist), said to me” If at al anyone could help this patient it is God and if you could do something. Please do ”.. I used to hold hands with the doctors befo! re they went to perform difficult surgeries. The nurses in Singapore opened their inner eyes at the greatest truth that they are not mere nurses; rather they are the chosen and anointed of God. They are powerful instruments in the healing hands of Jesus. One nurse by the name Ashley (real name) from Singapore made a wonderful sharing of a patient dying in peace when she was on duty. I have her permission to insert the mail she send me Ashley found this patient very restless at night . The patient was alone and dying. Ashley went to her and prayed over the patient and gave her a rosary. The patient became quiet and she died in peace. This incident left a lasting impact in the life of this young nurse in Singapore. Becoming conscious of that powerful miracle, she realized that being a nurse she could help the living and the dying more than many other people . The profession of a nurse or a Doctor is very challenging . They could save or destroy life. Very crucial decisions are in their hands and conscience. If you are a Godless person you may easily let a person die without any prepartion but on the other hand if you are a caregiver and God oriented, you could help save, prolong lives and make that an experience. At times prolongiong life could be meaningful for the! families which might help them to settle some of the family feuds. Pain is nothing to be ashamed of in our lives. “Must forget oneself and carry the cross and follow me” Mr.8.34, is a command and an invitation from Jesus. Seeing and being with the suffering people is a participation in redemption. Blessed Mother stood by the foot of the cross and became co redeemer with Jesus. Praise the Lord. "Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there” John 19.26. She suffered everything in her heart . The prophesy of Simeon at the Temple of Jerusalem “ And sorrow like a sword, will break your own heart” Luke 2.35., made Mother Mary mediatrix . Blessed mother stood by the cross and became our co redeemer. Much the same way when we ! stand by the cross of many a people, we become co redeemers. The salvation of Jesus is being continued in and through our lives. The medical profession offers ample chances to be the coredeemers with Jesus. We are not mere spectators in life. We are God’s powerful instruments and are created in His own image and likeness. “ We will make human beings: they will be like us and resemble us.” Gen 1.26. We are powerful on this earth. We are the beloved people of God. We need to live the life true to our call. We are called and set apart by Jesus. God has called us for a definite ministry. 1 Cor 7.17. Here is the account of Ashley from Singapore. PRAISE THE LORD. "Sing praise to the lord who ruled in Zion! Tell every nations what he has done"(ps.9; 11) God has chosen me to listen his words. I got a chance to participate in nurse’s retreat, which was conducted by Rev.Dr.Thomas Mathew. I Am working as a nurse in Tan Tock Seng Hospital in Singapore. On the 5th of August, the retreat session was about Mother Mary." Do not be ashamed then of witnessing for our Lord"(2Timot 1/8) I have shared one incident, which happened, during my duty. On my night duty, there was one Indian patient (malayali) patient by name Laxmiamma 88 years old. For 2 days she was in critical condition and the! Doctors explained poor prognosis to the family members. They were accepting the truth. On my night duty she was very restless, seeing nightmares that somebody is coming to take her away. Eventhough medicine was given she was unable to sleep. I went to console her; she needed me to hold her hand and to be beside her. I was unable to be with her all the time because I have to look after other patients. I gave her a good companion my "rosary" to hold in her hand. Then I prayed for her keeping my hands over her head. When I finished my prayer she was calm and slept for 3 1/2hrs. When she was awake I asked her how she felt after the prayer. She couldn’t express how peacefully she slept. There after she was very calm. She lifted her arm and blessed me by holding my head. On the same day she passed away. I believe she had a peaceful death through mother Mary’s hand to heavenly father. "The prayer in faith will heal the sick person; the will restore him to health and t! he sin he has committed will be forgiven (James 5; 5) Ashley P Deny Mol/ Staff Nurse/Singapore Ashley got the awareness of her vocation as a nurse to be a saint. Her attitude change helped her to find joy in being a nurse. The work of a nurse is a great call. Very often it will be a nurse who could be by the bedside of a dying person. If the nurse is Spirit filled, many patients will get healed and or if they patients are dying, they will die a peaceful death. The nurses have the capability to destroy life or to save . The doctors will go after prognosis and prescribing medicine but a nurse stays with the patient, lovingly attending to them, if the Holy Spirit anoints that nurse. If the Holy Spirit does not anoint them, they may not take their profession as a definite call to holiness and recognize their dignity as Apostles and evangelizers. There are many capable and very devoted nurses although they are not Godfearing. I don't say they are a failure professionally, rather what I am trying to say is that if they are God oriented professionals, they will find a different expereince in being the co redeemers with Jesus. "Each one should go on living according to the Lord’s gift to him, and as he was when God called him” 1Cor 7.17 Fr. Thomas Mathew/August 27,2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. Click Here **************************************************************** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. 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