My message for today is focused on
patience. Without a doubt, the year 2020 has been a year that has tested
our maximum limits on patience.
Romans 12:12 tells us: be joyful in
hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Joyful, patient, and faithful. Three very good choices.
When you replay this year, we have
moved from what feels like crisis to crisis. News stories have told us
horrible things, to the point where I think it’s safe to say we were not sure
who was right and who was wrong, who to follow and who to run away from.
I recently read a quote, “News to the brain is what sugar is like to the
body.” Think about that for a second, how has our world changed because
of the 24 hour news cycle? Since this is youth Sunday, and each year I
feel older and older I reflect to a time not that far in the past. Before
cable news, before the mass use of the internet, before email when the news
cycle was three times a day. For 30 minute sections. Some in this
sanctuary can probably recall a time with even less news, perhaps just the
daily newspaper. Who remembers that the national anthem used to play at
the end of the day on the TV when the station turned off for the night, turned
off! How does this relate to my message of patience?
I believe we are spiraling into a
darker time, where instant gratification and assuming what we are told, is
true. Without the critical thinking skills to stop, think, and act.
Only god and our faith can keep us focused, when attacked from all sides
by what I would term as craziness.
As some of you know I am a nurse,
and I pride myself on being a paramedic, and ER nurse specifically. I
meet with prospective nurses often, many are trying to decide on if they should
go to PA school, or Nursing school, and if they can ‘handle the stress’ of
being a nurse or work in the healthcare profession. The short answer is
YES. Anyone can but the skill of a good nurse is not knowing every
medication, or knowing every medical issue (that why we have doctors....) it is
keeping calm under fire. When the ER is full and one more patient comes
in, they do not want to see a charge nurse losing his or her mind because there
are no beds. They want to know that they have arrived at a place that
will care for them. That will make sure they are safe.
2020 is sort of like that. Each
crisis is like yet another sick patient has arrived and we need to figure out
how to care for them.
In January I was presenting to a
nursing home of maybe 200 residents. About 50 of them were in front of me
the rest were in their rooms, since they were unable to make it to the
auditorium, I presented an update on the hospital, answered some questions and
then questions about COVID came up. I answered like any other virus
question, wash your hands often and we should be ok. A couple of short
weeks later they and we were in lockdown. Little did I know 6-7 day
workweeks with 12 hours each day would be looming for me, not that I am
complaining, helping others is the reason I entered the healthcare field.
Working long hours, and along with the fear that I would bring home a
virus to my family.
Rules were made by the state and
local governments and we had to adjust on the fly. At 7pm on a
Thursday we were informed the governor cancelled all elective surgeries.
7pm! If you had surgery scheduled for 7am, that meant you
prepared, you family was ready to support you and BOOM, it was cancelled.
Normally most surgeries might be classified as elective, but if you
are in pain, it might not be electives to you. Patience. Deep breath,
what is the right decision?
Proverbs 16:32 tells us “better a
patient person, then a warrior, one with self control, then one who takes a
city. To me, that means – to take a
breath. Look at what you are about to
do, who are you truly here to serve.
We followed the rules, but grouped
patients by what would happen if they did not have surgery. Would they be
in pain until this was over? Either way, we did what was right. We
cared for our patients. That is our job. Then the fun started,
visitor polices needed to be adjusted and decisions we make means patients
might sadly die without their family present. Chaplains were told they
could not round and support not only the patients but the staff. Masks
and gloves had to be made (yes I said made). I am asked if the number of
patients was the problem. It was not, it was the length of the time they
stayed. On average a patient stays in the hospital for 3-4 days.
The first wave of COVID patients came and stayed for over 30.
Alone. Unable to move. The medical and nursing staff had to
do all sorts of things to figure out how to best care for everyone, but they
did, supported by the entire health system. Athletic trainers became
screeners, doctors appointments became virtual, and engineering staff assembled
negative pressure rooms out of plastic. Everyone in the healthcare
community did an amazing job, with equally amazing support by the community.
Flash forward to June. Jack
and I had a trip to Philmont Boy Scout Ranch cancelled, so I took the
opportunity to take Jack and Sam to Denver, with the plan to drive to Los
Angeles. The pandemic seemed to be calming, and it was a time to get
away. We drove to Pikes Peak where we experienced snow in July, then
drove to Durango, and onto the Grand Canyon. What made this even more fun was
we really did not have a plan, just get to the next stop.
Somewhere this new topic of a travel
ban started. We happened to be visiting all of the states the banned list
that PA released, which meant I wouldn’t be going back to work for two weeks
after I arrived home. I could panic and fly home. OR not. We choose
to continue.
We arrived at the Grand Canyon at
almost dusk, starving we ran for food and all we wanted to see was the sunset
with only 20 minutes before that happened. I admit, I did not have any
patience. The line for food was slow, the minutes were being lost.
I’ll leave out the details, but we made it. Honestly it was one of the
most amazing sights I have ever seen in my life. We spent 24 hours exploring
the Grand Canyon, and moved to Las Vegas.
Yes, you COULD suggest that LV was
not the best spot to go in a pandemic, but memories were had. We planned
to leave for Yosemite at 7am. At 4am Jack begin to get sick.
Really sick. I began to wonder how I can get to the airport and fly
Jack home in the MIDDLE of a pandemic while vomiting. Talk about
patience. I was in full PANIC mode. We would be stuck out west
until we were healed. Patience....deep breath. It’s not Covid and
we will be ok. Sam and I got him into the rental car without anyone noticing
how pale he looked. We left LV and drove towards LA. About an hour
later we were safe, Jack felt ok. No fever, no anything, whatever it was
passed. We had lunch at “In and out burger”. Not a bad burger.
We drove on to LA without issue.
Got lost in the hills of Hollywood,
toured Santa Monica and the pier, walked the walk of fame, and sadly saw many
storefronts boarded up from the recent riots a reminder of a stressful 2020.
In the end, I would not trade that
trip for anything. The experiences we had were something I will cherish
for the rest of my life. I could have panic’ d and gone home. Yes,
there was some risk, but life is a risk. QUOTE from poker book.
There are risks in life. When you panic you lose all clarity.
We all do it at times, if you ask my family they will surly let you now I
have moments of no patience. I can list them. But that is for
another day.
Back to 2020. This year
challenged us all. Covid, at the top of the list. The presidential
election cycle a close second. To the youth here and watching virtually
today, be calm. Put your phones down and begin to think on your own.
Realize that you control your own reactions, decisions, and what your
future brings. If you take the world at face value you will not be in
control of yourself, you will give up control to others they will tell you what
to think, tell you how to act and before you know it, you will be simply along
for the ride. Life is too short. I am not saying be lawless, we
must always be respectful of others and make sure we are giving back,
supportive, and most of all making our world a better place. When you find
yourself in a stressful place, where patience is required, take a deep breath
think about how you can keep control, and take action. Sometimes it will
be the wrong decision, which is ok. We learn from the outcome, fix what
is broken, and try again.
No comments:
Post a Comment