Mission Possible
This year really isn’t turning out the way I had planned. I was looking forward to a couple of trips this year especially my Christian medical conferences. Although not officially cancelled, I think travel is out of the question for most of the year. I was hoping these conferences would be a time to really connect with God and his purpose for my life, especially as a doctor. At least, that was the mission. I’m finding that perhaps the mission is still the same, but this Covid pandemic just an unforeseen predicament.
The world has changed a lot since the last time I posted. In just one month. The world has literally gone viral sending everyone home in isolation. And although Hawaii is the most isolated mass of land in the world, it is not immune to the effects of the covid-19 virus as the number slowly rises here as well.
A time when we should be planning summer trips, enjoying spring break, planning for Easter, most of us are stuck in home isolation as the dark curtain of corona pandemic slowly falls upon this earth. We used to live in a world isolated from each other, connected to our technology, everyone on their own little island. We are still isolated but now united more than ever before by this same plight. Its like nothing anyone has ever been through.
No one is certain if this world will ever be the same again, but we can be certain that we still have the same, great God.
In all of this home isolation, our family got to enjoy some movies together. Honestly, our routine has not changed much. I still go to work. My husband, Daniel still stays at home with the boys, only our travel plans and occasional outings have been derailed like most of the world. Mission Impossible series was one of the movies we got to enjoy together. Andrew, my oldest and I enjoyed ‘Overcomer’ movie. And I even shared with him one of my favorite movies, ‘Life is beautiful’, I recommend if you haven’t seen but keep the tissues close.
Work has certainly changed for me as a primary care family physician. We closed several of our clinics and I’m now doing a combination of urgent care and telemedicine care. We’ve pushed off the routine screening, elective procedures. Yes, preventative medicine has taken a back seat to the pending challenges of the covid 19 virus. Soon I may be asked to work in the hospital-in the ER or ICU, something I haven’t done since residency, over ten years ago and I’m certainly not prepared for.
Although, it hasn’t significantly impacted us here in Hawaii yet, we prepare for the challenges our colleagues in mainland are facing, like staff and equipment shortages. We’ve already been rationing our personal protective equipment.
I don’t think most of us health care workers went into medicine considering that it might be a threat to our life. At least, not like a police officer or fire fighter does. As I hear the stories and the death tolls, healthy young health care workers in the front line now in respiratory failure due to the virus. I’m faced with the very likely possibility that as a health care worker, I might face the same fate. I see the medical community split with this realization. There are those that demand guaranteed safety from their hospital administrators or they’ll quit. They are scared like so many. These people are thinking about their families and their lives. I get it, we didn’t sign up for this. Then there are those that don’t think twice about it and are willing to risk their lives to help their patients. Which category do I fall into? I’m not sure but I pray that God will equip me when it comes to that, ’for such a time as this’ as my dear friend, Bev would say. I pray that I would not forget why I became a doctor in the first place and use my God given gifts to help others. This realization is also a gift because it reminds me how precious each moment of my life here on earth is, with my family, in my interactions with loved ones and those that God puts in front of me. I get to cherish those authentic moments even more, moments like watching movies with my boys, going for walks and getting ice cream, laughing and praying with my family. God is faithful as we have seen in the Bible and I have seen in my won life. I will try not to forget how the movie goes. I will try not to forget how God has rescued me and provided time again and I’ll place my faith and trust in God through this time now.
So yes, our world has been turned upside down and our mission has certainly not gone as planned. Some of you might be feeling a little lost as your routine has been totally disrupted.
Feeling a little nonessential?
Well I am here to tell you, that God still has a plan and purpose for your life even now. He loves and care for you. You are totally essential! He loved us so much that he sent his son to die for our sins, achieving one great mission. Jesus saves!
As we prepare to celebrate Easter, let us rejoice in that.
Now we have to ask ourselves what is our mission in all this? I certainly want to be a part of God’s team on His mission. Even though my plans have been thwarted, the mission is the same, to seek his will for my life. To share this gospel message. As human beings we sin, and we will someday die but God loved us so much that he sent his son to die for our sins so we can spend eternity with him. I challenge you to consider God’s plan, His mission for you because any mission without God is impossible.
With all the cancelled events, thwarted plans, loss of jobs, uncertainty of life around us, it just seems impossible to go on.
YOUR mission, if you choose to accept it, is join me in giving praise to God in spite of all these circumstances and trust in the one who makes all things possible.
Thank you for letting me share,
-Hopeful girl Janette, aka Dr. J, sober for 4 years, 8 months and 19 days,
Thank you for letting me share,
-Hopeful girl Janette, aka Dr. J, sober for 4 years, 8 months and 19 days,
You are such an inspiration - even as you consider risking your life. God bless you & watch over you. We are praying fervently for you, Daniel & the boys.
ReplyDelete