Monday Motivation: Nothing Wasted

Friends

A few weeks ago, my father was urgently hospitalized for issues related to his heart failure condition. Thankfully, I am grateful to report that he is back home and recovering well. While he was in the hospital, I had an interesting interaction that reminded me once again about how God works in mysterious and loving ways.

+++

”How amazing are the deeds of the Lord. All who delight in Him should ponder them”

Psalm 111:2 – NLT

Late on a hot August evening, our family suffered quite a scare when my 86-year-old father called me complaining of severe shortness of breath. It was clear that he needed to go to the hospital, and EMS was called. Feeling panicked and helpless being four hours away, I placed one phone call, and within minutes, my nurse cousin was on the scene, triaging the situation. Another cousin joined her to help, and two more responded to transport my mother to the hospital where yet another cousin joined them. I couldn’t be there at that critical moment, but these good people rallied to support us in this time of need. Isn’t family wonderful?

Eric and I rose in the wee hours of the morning to head to South Carolina where I thankfully found my dad dramatically improved and resting comfortably in a tiny room in the emergency department. Within a few hours of my arrival, my father was moved to a private room on a busy cardiology nursing unit. That’s when I met the nurse i will call Lisa for the sake of privacy. I knew from the moment of our introduction that she was a seasoned and experienced nurse, and I liked her instantly.

Lisa’s kindness and compassion came through loud and clear as she asked my parents the admission questions, and of course, the minute I walked into the room, my mother proudly declared that I was a cardiology nurse. I quickly added “retired” to My mother’s introduction, and Lisa welcomed me with a warm greeting and a curious query about my clinical nursing background. Our connection was instantaneous.

Holding my white cane in my right hand, I explained that I had retired early because of my vision issues. While I cannot see faces too well anymore, I saw Lisa’s head bob up suddenly in what felt like surprise. She quickly asked, “Is your vision problem a recent issue?”

I wasn’t surprised at her curiosity. It happens often. Still, there was something in the way that she asked the question that belied a deeper interest. I responded with a short explanation of my long history of progressive vision loss related to a retinal degenerative disease called retinitis pigmentosa. Unlike many people I meet, Lisa was familiar with the disease. Nodding her head in understanding, she went on to explain,”Oh, I was just wondering because my husband has recently had some vision issues related to his retina, and I wondered if your issue was similar.”

Lisa peppered me with a few more friendly questions before her duties called her elsewhere, but our interactions were far from over. During the next six hours of her shift, Lisa popped in often to check on my father, and each time, she stayed awhile to chat with me. Little by little, more of my story came tumbling out, and Lisa responded with sincere interest.

Not only did Lisa show interest in me, she provided exceptional care to my dad. She was quick to follow up on any issues, readily contacting the medical team when indicated. She looked up the latest test results for me and even contacted the hospitalist to come and speak with me.

Lisa was especially attentive to my needs and safety. Prior to leaving for the night, she explained my vision issues to the oncoming night shift nurse. I guess she was concerned about me navigating the unfamiliar hallways when I left the hospital for the night. To my surprise, the night nurse saw me exiting my father’s room and offered to walk me to the main elevators. I was so impressed by this extra note of kindness.

When I returned the next morning, Lisa was there to greet me, and our conversations continued sporadically over the next ten hours. That afternoon, more of her story came out as she shared her husband’s difficult journey with vision loss. What I had not realized until that afternoon was just how limited her husband’s current vision had become. My heart ached as she shared the breadth of lifestyle changes forced upon him in a relatively short timeframe.

As the afternoon sun streamed through my father’s window, Lisa and I connected on a deeper level. I listened to her concerns and shared some of the ways I had learned to adjust to my vision loss. We talked about the ways she was trying to support her husband, and she asked for any suggestions I could offer her. It was a good conversation, one filled with meaning, purpose, and hope.

As Lisa departed that evening, I was sad to see her go, knowing that she was off for the weekend, and I would never see her again. Still, long after she had closed the door behind her, I thought about our shared time together. Lisa was clearly an answer to prayer for my father and me. She was an expert nurse who managed my father’s care with compassion and competence. More than that, she went the extra mile to ensure that our questions were answered, and our needs met. Yet, as I considered our discussions about her husband’s vision loss, I was struck by the thought that perhaps I was an answer to one of her prayers. At a critical point in each of our lives, we were able to help each other.

That’s when it struck me that God wastes nothing. He uses everything for His good purposes. Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV). Christians often falsely assume that this verse means that if we love God, then all our circumstances will be good, but that is not the case. No one escapes suffering. Trials and hardships are an inherent part of living in this fallen and sinful world. The difference for Christians is that we can live assured that we do not face these hardships alone (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6, John 16:33).

God can take the happy and the hard, the pleasant and the painful, and work all these things for good. Dad could have been assigned to the care of dozens of other nurses that day, but he was placed in a room assigned to Lisa. I could have never opened up the subject of my vision issues in our interactions, but I did. God put Lisa in the right place and time, just as He placed me there to converse with her. Lisa had a divine appointment that August day, and apparently so did I.

Hard things happen, my father’s hospitalization, Lisa’s husband’s vision loss, my blindness. Yet, God used those hard circumstances for good, creating opportunities for meaningful conversations that encouraged each of us.

God can use anything and everything for good. He uses the big and small things in life to teach and encourage us. He brings comfort in surprising ways. He brings hope when we need it most. God wastes nothing.

+++

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

Psalm 118:1 – NIV

PRAYER

O Good and Gracious God, You are amazing. You waste nothing. You never fail to work all things together for good. Help us to trust You with our hard things, knowing deep within our souls that somehow, some way, You will use it all for good. To You, we give all our heartfelt thanks and unending praise.

In the Loving Name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen

Blessings,

Anita

-APS 9/25/2023