I’ve always worked best off of a carefully-planned day. No matter what I had to do, I would be sure to organize it into the most logical, efficient order so I could successfully fit as much as possible into every given day. This helped calm me. And it soothed me into such a sweet sleep at night knowing that I already had everything worked out in my mind to help the next day unfold as I thought it should. That was such a beautiful era in my life ….

But then God called me to become a nurse and blew an atom bomb up on my perpetually-prepared, super-organized way of coping with life. Now, the only thing I know about my day is what time to be there. And what to wear, of course. Always navy blue scrubs. Good thing they’re comfortable, and good thing I look good in navy blue.

I have to admit, the pre-shift walk into the hospital can be a bit daunting. You’re not only facing a long 12+ hour shift ahead of you, but you have absolutely no idea what you’re walking into. And I mean NO idea. And we have no agendas in the hospital, either. Things pretty much happen when they happen. And by “things”, I mean ANYTHING. And it can happen at any time. And you had sure better know what to do when it does.

When I was a brand new nurse, this morning walk into the hospital was often filled with a bizarre, very sobering anxiety. As I gained experience, though, this anxiety lessened somewhat, but there still remained a few butterflies swirling around inside my belly. I hated their fluttering feeling, but their regularity gave me a peculiar sense of comfort. Like those strange friends we all seem to accumulate. We just get used to them being there.

Then one morning I was walking up the ramp onto my unit. I couldn’t help but notice how ESPECIALLY long and steep that ramp felt as I trudged its length that day. I happened to glance out a bank of windows to my right and saw the very beginnings of the sunrise. The butterflies in my belly and I all stopped cold and watched that dark sky become transformed by yellows, pinks and purples like we had never seen before.

A brand new day. New hope. New promise. New strength. New surprises.

And God did that. He painted that sunrise for me. And he did it to remind me who does everything. And I mean EVERY THING. This shut both my anxieties AND my butterflies right down.

What was I anxious about, anyways?

No matter what we may think, none of us really knows what we’re walking into each day, but God sure does. And he’s already perfectly prepared us to face it. Perfectly. We just have to trust him. It’s simple. Just trust him. He loves us. He never leaves us, never fails us. Never has, never will.

So as you prepare to begin your new week, be encouraged, my friends.  My prayer for you is that tonight’s sleep will be softened with the peace of knowing that the one who knows EXACTLY what your Monday holds is already there. And he’s there to love you through it. Every, single step. No matter how long and steep your own Monday morning “ramp” may feel. Praise be.

Thanks for growing with me. ❤

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” – Psalm 4:8