Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Haul out the Holly!

So what they don't tell you in nursing school is that "sleeping in" becomes "sleeping-til-630" boo. So here I am to blog.

Thanksgiving was a success... Nick had to work, but I perfectly timed it so that the turkey came out of the oven right when he was walking in. I was SO proud of myself. It was moist with a golden-brown skin. The table was beautiful, and Nick enjoyed the food so much! It was hard being away from family, but I skyped in on my parent's thanksgiving feast! I just keep reminding myself that this is just for a season... which brings me to another season... CHRISTMAS! (Imagine that last word in Cathy's excited voice  :) )

Christmas officially began the next day for us. It was the weirdest thing for us. Thanksgiving was nice and warm, I even wore a sleeveless shirt! Then we wake up the next morning... and there was SNOW! Needless to say, Yoda LOVED it... It was the first appearance of Snow Beard (what we call Yoda after he's sniffing around in the snow) from the Blistery White North! (OK so maybe we are a little bit obsessed with our puppy, but he's soooo darn cute!)

Later that morning (so we wouldn't get caught in a huge Black Friday rush), we went out to Wal-Mart and Lowes to find a tree. You know Nick was in a great mood because he got a tree that was not the least expensive ;) After hauling it home in the back of his truck, we pulled out the boxes, and just allowed Christmas to explode all over our house. It was soooo exciting! When I find the camera, I'll take some pictures and put them up. After all, this is the first Christmas in our new house!

After a day of Christmas music and decorations, Nick and I had a second helping of my wonderful turkey, turned off the lights except for the Christmas tree, and watched Elf... There's no better way to kick off the season than watching a grown man in tights yell "SANTA! I KNOW HIM!"

The season even continued into work. So don't tell the kiddies, but Santa is currently intubated in our ICU. He'll be OK, but he was in a motorcycle accident while wearing his santa suit... no lie! And then another patient had a visitor... another Santa! It was crazy but I LOVE IT!

But with all of this excitement, we need to remember the ONE who made this all possible, and when I say all I mean everything. The Bible tells us that Jesus was with the Lord when He created the world (John 1:1 - In the Beginning there was the Word. And the Word was with the Lord, and the Word was the Lord.)

Nick always jokes about my birthday-month, but this is Jesus's Birthday Month (maybe not technically but figuratively). Every light heart and good will toward men stemmed from His heart toward us. Christmas is magical because the lights on the Christmas tree remind me of the star the wise men followed. Because the nativity in my living room reminds me of the night the Lord GOD on High came to us in the form of an infant boy. The carol O Holy Night causes me to cry when the verse says "Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, until he appeared, and the soul felt its worth!" The fact that I still lay in sin and error but that His birth brought meaning to me. So let's haul out the holly because we need a little Christmas... rather A LOT of CHRISTmas... right this very minute.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Would you ask this question?

So I know there's a lot of heavy stuff out there, but this is something that I have been convicted of this past weekend and need prayer for wisdom and courage.

As you know, I work in the Neurosurgery ICU at University of Kentucky. Being a Level One trauma center, we get the sickest of the sick, and many do not make it.

I had a patient last week, not much older than myself. His father was a pastor (like mine) but my patient, we'll call him Bob, may or may not have been a Christian. Anyway, he was in liver failure due to past drug and alcohol abuse. His dad told me that he was trying to straighten himself out, stopping the drugs, but had kept on drinking. Bob was in bad shape.

His dad just kept telling me that he wanted Bob to wake up one last time so that he could ask if Bob had accepted Christ. His family could let him go after that.

Bob did not wake up. After a grueling 12 hour shift of trying in vain to maintain a decent blood pressure and oxygen saturation while juggling continuous dialysis, vent changes, and multiple vasoacitve drips, I passed off my patient to the oncoming nurse. An hour after I got home, Bob coded and died.

Bob's dad never got his question answered. And so here is my question: Is there someone you love who if they were at the brink of death, you would have to ask, "Can he please wake up so I can ask if he's accepted Christ?" Would you ask that question?

I know I would. And so, friends, pray for me. Pray that I have the wisdom and courage to ask that question before it gets too late. That the Lord leads me to the proper place and time, that He prepares the soil of my loved one's heart to hear the Gospel.

And pray for you too, that we will never have someone wonder that about us. That we live daily in a way so that there will be no questioning, no pleading to God for one last chance to share the Gospel. And that we take on every moment like it's the last.