I’ve come to think of the hospital bed as being “The Great Equalizer”. The person occupying this bed could be a CEO, a movie star, or a hardened criminal. They could’ve been a war hero, a successful executive, or maybe they drove the garbage truck past your house this morning.
Politicians, preachers, junkies, cashiers, teachers, bankers, mothers, fathers, accountants, felons, sons, daughters, engineers, musicians, or baristas. They could be wealthy, they could be homeless. They could be loved by many, they could simply attract hate.
The thing is, to a nurse, none of this matters. We don’t know their story. We don’t know who they really are, what’s happened to them, what they’ve done, where they’ve been, or how they reached this point.
All we know is that they’re here. Right now. In that bed. Placed by God. They’re sick. They’re broken. They need help. They need us.
So we step into their stories for a few hours. No matter who they are. We take care of them. No matter what they’ve done. We reach out to them. No matter how they react. We teach them. And, whether we choose to notice it or not, they teach us, as well. Every, single one of them.
What an honor – praise be to God.
Thanks for growing with me. ❤
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
Growing Nurse Debi 
Well said! My volunteer work as pastoral counsel in Hospice has revealed this same truth to me. What a God we serve! We are all hopelessly broken, yet His love can restore absolutely everyone who seeks it.
Be blessed,
Chuck
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Chuck. I actually don’t WANT to know about my patients’ lives too much. It can just cloud things and it really doesn’t matter anyways.
I just want to treat the person right in front of me, exactly how God sent them to me. Sometimes they tell me their stories, sometimes they don’t. Either way is beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person