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| Liberty by gordontarpley on Flickr |
I am imagining trying to keep my patients alive without
power. And moving them at the same time,
down nine flights of stairs and into flooding and hurricane winds. The equipment usually has a battery that will last for a while. Lord willing they last long enough. Hand ventilating patients on ventilators is…well,
horrifying. Last night I was praying for
the first responders, and the nurses, and the doctors who had to work harder than usual to keep
people alive. Babies in the NICU. These first responders left their own families to help
others. That is why we do it to begin
with. Because we love God’s children and
we want to help the way we can. The way
He has gifted us.
And today I am still home praying for them. Knowing how hard it is now to look back. Those of us who are Christians know in our heads that God has numbered the days of each person’s
life. But when one of our patients dies, our heart's
question everything. What else could I
have done. Second guessing each
decision.
In the moment however, is God’s grace. In the times when I have had to deal with
real emergencies, it is as if time slows down.
Everything becomes razor sharp and it seems as if every second lasts an
eternity. And through God’s grace each
moment is taken one at a time. Decisions
made one at a time. Adrenalin keeps the
exhaustion away. And you just do
whatever it takes until it is over.
And so this morning when you read this and we begin to
find out exactly what happened. We will
hear of the cost, the price that Sandy exacted.
And the first responders will begin to process what they have been
through. And I ask you to continue to pray for all of them.
