As medical professionals, our primary focus has to be keeping our patients safe and alive. That’s it – the bottom line. That’s why we’re here. Ultimately, our goal is to see these patients improve, leave that hospital bed far behind, and go back to living their beautiful lives.

In order for this to happen, though, the chaos of the unit is absolutely necessary. As much as we want to escape from it at times – as much as it drives us to tears and interrupts our lunch – this is the process through which medical improvement actually happens.

It’s just the reality of being a nurse.

The real challenge, though, lies in seeing the patients through the stress. Yes, the patients. Not the disease processes, not the machines, not the hassles.

The actual human beings themselves.

Because they’re here. Right now. Placed by God. They’re ours. He gave them to us. They’re sick. They’re in pain. They’re lonely. They’re afraid. They need help.

They need us.

And I’m not speaking only from a nursing perspective here, but personally, as well. Seeing what’s right in front of me is one of my greatest personal struggles.

We’re all busy in life – no matter how we fill our time. We all have stress. We all have distractions. We all get caught up in getting things done. We’re all going in a thousand different directions in our minds. We’re all on a roller coaster of some type. All. The. Time.

But we have to make time to stop.

Step away from the chaos.

Shift our focus.

Seek God and listen.

Be still and just think.

I call this “intentional pondering”. And it’s important.

Because, inside the hospital or out, there are lost humans who are hurting. Have you noticed? Look around. Take a good, deep look around you.

There are hurting people everywhere. 

See sometimes we become so blinded by our goal-driven tendencies that we don’t notice them, but they’re there. The lost and broken. They’re right in front of us. Right now. Placed by God. They’re ours. He gave them to us. They’re sick. They’re in pain. They’re lonely. They’re afraid. They need help.

They need us.

Let’s shift our eyes from our chaos, and show somebody Jesus.

Thanks for growing with me. ❤

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)