The moment I found out I passed boards and was officially a Registered Nurse, the college/nursing school chapter was closed and a new chapter began. The new chapter is the World Race and this upcoming year with my squad. When thinking back to these crazy two years spent in Oklahoma in nursing school, God brought to my attention all that He has taught me through them outside of needing a little bit of coffee and a whole lot of Jesus each day. He has been molding me, His beloved daughter, all this time into who I am today.
10 life lessons the Lord has taught me through these past two years would be:
- ASSESS BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION
The first thing you are taught in nursing school is how to assess which basically means gathering information about a patient’s physiological and psychological status. Learning about the patient is what guides the following steps. In the same way, we are supposed to ASSESS WITH THE LORD THROUGH PRAYER! Taking anything and everything in prayer before the Lord is something I am learning to do BEFORE trying to handle it on my own.
Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6
- “Both answers are correct but one is more correct.”
This is a statement that comes up quite often when discussing test questions. It is so frustrating at times but it’s part of nursing school. I feel like Christ says the same thing to us at times. He gives us all free will to choose what we do and how we live. Even though we may think that this decision is “correct” there is another answer choice that is “more correct.” All He asks of us is to allow Him to show us. THERE ARE MULTIPLE RIGHT ANSWERS BUT JESUS IS THE BEST ANSWER and it is our job to pick Him and show other people that answer.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14:6
Another thing that Jesus comes to be the answer is when I am asked how to get through stressful times such as school. Jesus. Jesus is what got me here today and what got me through every stressful late night cramming for an exam to when asked why I want to be a pediatric cancer nurse. He is the reason why I am going on a year long mission trip without the comfort of my home or family. Jesus is the correct answer.
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. -1 Peter 3:15
- FRIENDS ARE KEY TO SUCCESS.
I can’t even count the number of times I forgot about an assignment or quiz we had to turn in or the number of times I was reminded of what we had in the upcoming week that a friend would graciously remind me. My group of friends literally got me through school by keeping me accountable and reminding me of what I needed to do. (Thank you Ashley, Becky, Whitney, Jason, Jackie, Shirley, Sheridan, Crystal, and Caitlin
). Group work is vital in school and working as a team is a must.
In the same way, Christ has called us to do life together in community. Christian community is something I never really have had. I had my sisters and my mom and I felt like that was enough. I felt like I could have and keep my relationship with Jesus on my own with no help. Life Church brought some great people in my life that taught me different. Sarah Bates and Sarah Boller became my mentors and showed me what it meant to be held accountable. I am more appreciative of them than words can describe. I am so excited for my team members to be my community during the next year. #Beloveds
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. -Proverbs 27:17
- LIFE ISN’T FAIR
This was probably the biggest thing I watched and learned in Clinical as a student nurse. Bad things happen to good people and it is hard to understand why God allows this. He speaks truth in these situations though. He tells us that life is going to be hard but He will work all things out for good to those who love him (Romans 8:28). I saw this happen multiple times on the units. God can take a terrible situation and show His glory through it.
An example of this that will forever stick with me is a married couple spending many years trying to have a child and finally did. This baby was born with congenital heart defects that required surgery. In this surgery, the blood shunted away from the kidneys, hands, and feet and went to the vital organs including the brain and heart which resulted in the kidneys failing and having to get the hands and feet amputated because of the tissue dying. As hard as this situation was, the parents prayed and praised Jesus for giving them a child even if it was for a month. When the child passed away, the parents had touched every person who came into contact with that child. Their faith was made known to everyone.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 paints a perfect picture of worshiping in the pain because sometimes you have to worship before breakthrough comes.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” -Habakkuk 3:17-19
- Our God is still a God of Miracles
Enough said. God still shows His power through healing people physically and emotionally. Being in the hospital setting, it is an honor to be around so many great people but also be able to see Christ in the healing of His people. Nothing is impossible with GOD.
My wonderful and perfect friend, Campbell, is on my squad and team, which makes me jump with joy. She wrote a captivating blog telling about her story of God healing her ankle at training camp a couple weeks ago. http://campbellstewart.theworldrace.org/post/my-papa-is-a-healer You all should check this blog out and live in the love of her story and words. (I love you CamBam!)
- Making mistakes is the best way to learn.
Every nurse tells you the same thing, “Learn from mistakes. It’s the best way to remember what not to do.” If you remember your ABC’s (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), you are off to a good start. Know what medications cause nausea and where to put your face when you start catheters or change little boy’s diapers. Little things that come with experience and learning as you go.
This rings true in so many life situations as well. I am far from perfect and make mistakes on the daily but learning from them is what it is all about. God is so full of grace so we can rest in the promise of forgiveness and redemption. We just have to fully give Him our mistakes so we can move forward in His grace.
- TESTS NEVER STOP
Nursing school is made of huge exams every week that require hours upon hours of studying and preparation. If I learned anything, it was how to study to pass tests. Sitting in the same spot for 6 hours day after day learning material is a practiced skill. This has taught me to have determination to reach goals but also patience and confidence for tests outside of school. Temptation and tests are a part of life. This is something God shows me. Tests of giving my anxiety to Him and finding peace in whatever stressful situation.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. God is Faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. -Corinthians 10:13
Knowing God always provides a way out is a promise we can find rest in. This brings me right in to my next lesson I learned…
- I can handle way more than I thought I could.
Looking back to the person I was before college to who I am now, God speaks clearly to me that I am a lot stronger than I gave myself credit for. Physically, He gave me the strength to run 13.1 miles twice in the half marathons. Emotionally, He gave me peace to go to three different schools during 4 years not knowing a single soul at each of them. He gave me wonderful lifelong friends along the way in each place. Spiritually, He showed me one truth. NO MATTER WHERE I AM PHYSICALLY, HE IS CONSTANT. HE WILL MEET ME WHEREVER I AM. I found His awakening love in Abilene, in Dallas, and in Oklahoma City. This promise I found to be true and will carry me in the 11 countries I will live in during the next 11 months. God gives us all the strength and confidence we need to be who He created and called us to be.
- All people need love.
Nursing is all about serving. When you humbly serve patients and families, loving them comes easy. That is what I found to be true working with children. Loving people in the hospital comes natural and feels like perfect medicine when they are in pain or hurting. When you go into a situation with a loving attitude and agenda then fear is driven out. Fear of messing up or not being enough is gone. The first morning of my oncology leadership rotation, my fears were on high. I didn’t feel ready or good enough to start my dream clinical rotation. My mom sent me this verse which completely got me through the best 12 shifts of my entire two year nursing program.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” -1 John 4:18
If you go into situations knowing your motive is to love and be Jesus to others, there is no room for fear. This was one of the greatest life lessons I learned.
We read in the Bible that loving is above all else.
WHY LOVE? 1 John 4:7 states “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” We love because God loved us first and we love Him. We also should love His other creations- all His sons and daughters.
HOW TO LOVE? 1 John 3:16-18 states “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
10. KIDS ARE MY PASSION
I went into nursing school wanting to become a Labor and Delivery Nurse. I went through some great clinical rotations that widened my perspective on pediatrics. I fell in love with working and being around kids. I found that Christ has laid such a passion in my heart for children. He has molded my heart to love loving on children and being Jesus to them. The World Race will give me many more opportunities to practice children’s ministry and will only prepare me more to come back and be a nurse to care and love on His sick children as a nurse. The Lord has given me my purpose in life and I know that is what I was created to do. To LOVE and be a LIGHT to children who need that in their life. TO BE JESUS TO CHILDREN, TO HIS CHILDREN. My dream would be a pediatric oncology nurse but God has opened my heart to any type of nursing where I can interact with children each day.
The verse that is engraved in my heart is;
Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. -Proverbs 22:6
>>If we can love others and children to show that God loves them, they will be forever changed and live as if they are loved. Think about what that could do to this world.<<
I leave here in three weeks. I can’t believe it is so close. I blinked and I am here and I give all glory to God. Jesus has completely wrecked my life from the inside out and I will never be the same and I am so okay with that. I have asked for His desires to become my desires and His wants for my life to become mine. I can say two weeks ago I fully gave in to the Holy Spirit and gave up all control of my life to Jesus. I am here to say it is the absolute best decision I have ever made. He is taking my pieces and putting them back together so beautifully. The fact is that anyone can have it; all we have to do is give up control and receive His grace and love.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” -Luke 12:48
