God has given me a passion for childbirth and for caring for people. He has opened the doors that have led me here, in my final semester of nursing school, completing 180 hours of preceptorship on the labor and delivery floor of one of our local hospitals.
And I love it! He has really filled me with a heart for this passion. I wouldn't dare turn away from His gift, and the more I give in to it, the more it flourishes, and the more it flourishes, the more I grow, and the more I grow, the more Glory to God.
And while I love it, of course, the devil just can't stand it. He's got to try to get his hands in it somehow. First it was doubt. Doubt that leaving my babies to go back to school was the right thing. But through trust and prayer, God would admonish those doubts, over and over again.
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| Some of my favorite pieces of encouragement from my Great-Aunt Peggy (nursing school teacher out in Texas) & my sweetest Lil' Brother |
Then it was the attack on my marriage (another post, I promise). And I gotta hand it to that roaring lion, he found me not being sober or vigilant and nearly devoured me (1Peter 5:8). BUT (I love God's "buts")
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,
who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (ESV)
Then there was that one difficult semester this past spring where I was really worried about making it. But really there was no sense in worrying.
And now, I feel as though he's trying again to get me down. I'm having a bit of a struggle regarding some of the details of my preceptorship (there's no need to describe them). But, I laugh at his weak attempt. I am firmly planted in my Lord and He has made me strong in this gift, and has given me the patience to look past this difficulty and still learn and grow in this field and flourish as a soon to be nurse. I'm only about 25% done with my hours, so I'm sure he'll keep bringing the heat, and I will continue to soak in God's word and prepare myself for that moment.
I really wanted to brag share with you how awesome my husband and his journey with God has been. I mentioned in my last post that he is ordained to the work of the gospel ministry. But his faith and walk was evident long before he accepted that calling. His response to most of my whining and venting was biblical verse.
So I wanted to pay it forward so to speak. Today we had to update our teacher on how things were going with clinical. I told her everything and how I felt about it all and she of course wanted to see about switching me somewhere else (that devil tryna' me keep from that place where God put me, I tell ya). I told her I would rather tolerate my issue (which I've been doing) and stay at the same facility rather than move. Hubs agreed, but God used him to send in a bit more encouragement, to which I passed on to my teacher.
Not only that but we rejoice in suffering,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame
because God's love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)
I mean how perfect of a response.
Troubles will always come our way. Life will always try to get you down. It's part of the fall of man (Genesis 3) and it is why we have been given Jesus. Our faith and trust in God doesn't make life all rosey. It actually usually makes us a target for satan's attacks. Our faith and trust does, however, lead us to fulfill Romans 5, verses 3 through 5. So next time you ask "why me?" as you're standing in the valley, in the pouring rain without an umbrella, remember, you serve (or can choose to serve) an awesome and mighty God who provides a way through, patience and endurance. And that He uses that patience and endurance to grow and refine us so we can see through to a brighter future with Him.
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