Everything we need

96 year old male

New patient to me, 

history of multiple medical problems, 

chief complaint: weight loss.   

Chart review revealed this had been going on for months.   Before I stepped in the room, I already knew what to expect, another depressing emaciated face staring back at me, surrounded by a family member or members who could not carry on caring for their aging parent/grandparent.  I already had a few of these visits this past week.   I stepped into the room to a thin man, but who immediately stood up as I entered the room and held out his hand in to deliver a firm handshake.   I looked around for the other family members ,but no one else there.    He came here on his own.  “I’m on my way to the grave’ was his frank response when I asked how I can help him today.   He was speaking the truth, however his statement was in discordance with the countenance it came from- the brightest toothless grin I’d ever seen that was so contagious I couldn’t help but smile back.  

‘Are you ready?”  

‘I’ve served 2 tours in Korea war, Vietnam and Pakistan. I’m ready to meet my Lord’  His faith was undeniable. 

‘ok, I’ll help you whatever I can , until you get there’

Seeing this man’s faith and trust in what His creator had in plan for him was inspiring and humbling to me.  Here he was, near the end of his life, with upmost confidence and here I am struggling to get up to go to work on a Monday morning.  

Actually, the situation at  our clinic has left me struggling a lot lately, one doctor who suddenly left and another out on maternity leave has left us short staffed.   I’ve been struggling with the voices of burn out and entitlement. 

Love your job and you’ll never have to work a day in your life!  Isn’t  that how its supposed to be?   It has been brought to my attention recently that this is actually a more worldly view and not the Biblical view or what God had intended for us be in our jobs.   There is always going to be some work, even in the job you love.  Isn’t that what we are all doomed for since the original sin?  

Burn out is what happens when we’ve lost joy and meaning in our work.  I recently read a devotional that spoke to me on this very subject and what perfect timing as  my work has had its added stresses.   

A recent survey showed that 9 out of 10 people are dissatisfied with their work.   According, to Jordan Raynor, author of this devotional, it stems from an unbiblical view of the meaning of work that can lie on either sides of a spectrum.  At one end, you may expect far too little from work.   These are the people who go to work just to get the paycheck, as a means to the end.   I fell into this end of the spectrum when I was deep in my addiction.   I only worked for the weekend because that is when I allowed myself to drink or drink more.   Since I was a ‘functional’  alcoholic, I only allowed myself to drink just enough during the week so I can still function at work the next day.   But weekends were a free for all.   Work hard. Play hard! I deserved it.   But my work was just that, a means to the end, did what I had to do to get to the next weekend, vacation.  Yet, did you know that the Bible proclaims a God that actually worked?   And  Christianity is probably the only religion that states this.  Just go back to Genesis, ‘God created man in his image, blessed them and said to them , be fruitful, increase in number, rule over the the fish and birds and creatures  on the ground’ (Genesis 1:1)  So our work is not a punishment.   Our working is an expression of God’s working. We work because God worked and it is a form of worship. 

But I confess today, that  I really fall on the other end of the spectrum. That is expecting too much from my work.   We live in a society that places a lot of self worth and happiness on our careers and we often expect TOO much from our job.  This leads to people hopping from one job to the next when they expect so much and become dissatisfied.  

Whenever I feel like the work load is unfair,  or when I feel like I should be in a better position or status at my job,  OR when I’m fed up with the health care delivery system, I know that is when I am placing too much self worth in my job.  But I must remember I am more than my job or career and God didn’t intend for me to find ultimate meaning in my job.   He wants us to look towards him for this.   So where do we find the middle ground?   The answer is JESUS! Its always Jesus.  :-). 

But really, we know that Jesus worked as a carpenter, not a priest or a Pharisee.    Jesus was displaying what God had intended work to be from the beginning, a reflection of God and worship to Him.  Also, Jesus points out, when He began his ministry that He is the way , the truth and the life.  Only in Him can we find ultimate meaning.   Not only that, he was healer, which should bring even MORE meaning to my line of work.   Healing to proclaim the gospel.  

And so I will rely on this truth, to bring meaning to my job.   It is not only a way to worship and glorify God.   But God is using me as a vehicle to bring the gospel to others, and loving others as ourselves.   When someone asks what I love most about my job, I say its serving my patients and working as a team with my staff.   I will trust in that God will give me everything I need to do this and all the rest.   

When we remember that’s how God intended our work to be, then maybe we can actually look forward to our jobs,   trusting that God will give us everything we need.    The situation at the other side of that door may not be what you expect as God revealed to me in that patient.  Rather than a dismal soul, I saw the spirit that looked more like my son, Micah in the picture above, a spirit running towards Jesus with eyes focused on the prize.  

thank you for letting me share. 

-Hopeful girl, sober for 4 years, 2 months and 19 days, hopeful for another day.