Mother Theresa
"We can do no great things; Only small things with great love."
I have recently been doing some reading about Mother Theresa and here is what I have found.
Mother Theresa was a channel of blessing. She begged for food, but never for herself. She asked for supplies, but never for herself. When she won the Nobel Peace prize, she accepted the honor, and the money, but it wasn't for herself - it was in acknowledgement of the world's poor. She used the money to further the ministry.
As she lived her life, she was determined to live like the people she served. 3 habits (outfits). 1 to wear, 1 to wash and 1 to dry. Her personal possessions fit in a wash bucket. All the women who worked with her followed her example. They could carry all their possessions in the bucket that was used for washing the people they ministered to.
Mother Theresa never went to nursing school, but she was definetly a nurse. She was a caregiver. She provided nursing care by teaching children the importance of washing hands and body. She provided hospice care for dying people who normally would have died on the streets of India. She created a safe haven for lepers - a place where they could live and not worry about being rejected by society.
Early on in her lifestyle ministry, Mother Theresa was told that what she was doing was like a drop in the bucket. More people than we can count are starving - poverty stricken. Why bother? Why bother bringing a dying woman to the hospital, when she was going to die in a matter of hours. Why bother feeding this family, if that family goes hungry?
Mother Theresa met those accusations with the belief that each face she looked into was the face of Jesus. She imagined herself washing the body of Christ, as she washed the dying who were brought off the streets, with sores, disease, maggots.
"Everytime she gave someone a cup of water, whe was giving it to the Lord; everytime she found a scrap of food for someone, she was finding it for him." Pg 31 Mother Theresa, Sister to the Poor by Patricia Reilly Giff
"She was determined. She would not stop. Instead of thinking of the crowds, the thousands, she thought of the one - the one closest, the one she was helping."
How did she do it? Up at 4:30 am each morning, she and the other sisters spent time in prayer. Teresa explained, "Prayer gives us the love and strength to make suffering people feel better." Teresa of Calcutta, Serving the Poorest of the Poor by D Jeanene Watson
I confess I have been focusing on the multitudes in life. My mercy heart, the heart that breaks when people feel pain, has often led me to try to make things better for others - to make suffering people feel better! As a nurse, that is my lifes goal, to make suffering people feel better - both physically, but emotionally and spiritually too.
As I focus on the multitudes and those I can not help, I have gotten depressed. Discouraged. I have taken the "Why bother?" approach. If I take on too many things to help others, my family suffers!
A few years ago, God led me to lay down my nursing career for a season of my life. One week, we were busy doing some final packing for a weekend trip to South Carolina. Our children were excited to visit their cousins. Brian brought the mail in and laid it on the table- junk, junk, bill, junk, - what's this? PA Department of.....oh, my nursing license. I held it briefly, unopened. I didn't have time to deal with it right then. I was packing last minute things and trying to get supper on the table.
That license is something I worked hard for as a single woman. Nursing school was a challenge, but I enjoyed learning. My parents would have been so proud to see me walk down to receive my diploma, and even more proud when I passed my NCLEX licensing exam and I could say with great pride - I'm an R.N.!
I attribute my parents illnesses with luekemia and multiple sclerosis as key in leading me to pursue a ministry in nursing. And that is what nursing was, and still is for me. A ministry. A way of showing Christ's love and mercy to the hurting. But my mom died when I was 10, my dad when I was 20. I graduated from nursing school when I was 23.
While I was in nursing school, I began working on a maternity unit as an assistant, beginning my career in Mommy/Baby nursing. The mother/baby bond is a passion of mine! My first job out of school was in Labor and Delivery. A job I continued - but in different areas until my third child was born.
Even then, though, only working very part time, I struggled with whether or not I should release nursing all together for a season - the busy season of raising 3 preschoolers. It was through a segment of scripture that my answer came. I opened to Isaiah 8:18 "Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me." It cross-referenced to Genesis 33:5, when Jacob met Esau on his long trip from Laban's home.
The verses that spoke to my heart were verses 12-14. After reuniting, Esau said to Jacob, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." He was going to Seir, his home. Jacob's response drives home the heart of God for families with babies and small children! "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir."
6 years have passed since I quit my job at the hospital. Since that time, my 3 preschoolers, became 4 and I had to learn how to move at the pace of my preschool children! Interestingly enough, they are now elementary age, and I am down to only one preschooler. The pace of the kids has picked up! Now I find it difficult to keep up with them!
Today, as I read over this scripture reference, I noticed that Jacob never got to Seir! He settled in another place. I guess I thought when I left work as a nurse, to slow my life's pace down, that the other nurses can go on ahead of me - that I would catch up. I left the other nurses who would continue to grow in that field, and gain more experience, and become better nurses. I figured that some day I would be back, and catch up to them.
But maybe not. Maybe my destination will change, like Jacob's did. He told Esau he would meet him in Seir. He ended up in another place. I've always thought I would go back to my nursing career. I'm thinking the destination might look a little different than I originally thought. Time will tell. Right now, I am just trying to focus on the beautiful faces of Jesus that are in front of me. My prayer is that I will not get discouraged by the multitude of need that I feel unable to effect change for, and focus on the needs that are right in front of me. The needs of my children and husband. The needs of our employees and those around me. I want to look at the face in front of me and serve them as I would be serving Jesus.
Like Mother Theresa, I want to alleviate suffering and when possible bring healing. I want to be a channel of blessing to those around me. I want to cast the vision for my children to respond to needs they see. To have their hearts stirred with compassion for those around them. Raising a family is a full time job. I am thankful that I am in a position to stay home with my children and enjoy that.
My prayer is that God continues to guide me and our family in ministering the love of Jesus wherever we go, and to encourage everyone not to focus on the multitudes.
Mother Theresa did not ignore the fact that the multitudes were present. She just didn't allow herself to get bogged down by the multitudes. She focused on the face in front of her - the face of Jesus.
I have recently been doing some reading about Mother Theresa and here is what I have found.
Mother Theresa was a channel of blessing. She begged for food, but never for herself. She asked for supplies, but never for herself. When she won the Nobel Peace prize, she accepted the honor, and the money, but it wasn't for herself - it was in acknowledgement of the world's poor. She used the money to further the ministry.
As she lived her life, she was determined to live like the people she served. 3 habits (outfits). 1 to wear, 1 to wash and 1 to dry. Her personal possessions fit in a wash bucket. All the women who worked with her followed her example. They could carry all their possessions in the bucket that was used for washing the people they ministered to.
Mother Theresa never went to nursing school, but she was definetly a nurse. She was a caregiver. She provided nursing care by teaching children the importance of washing hands and body. She provided hospice care for dying people who normally would have died on the streets of India. She created a safe haven for lepers - a place where they could live and not worry about being rejected by society.
Early on in her lifestyle ministry, Mother Theresa was told that what she was doing was like a drop in the bucket. More people than we can count are starving - poverty stricken. Why bother? Why bother bringing a dying woman to the hospital, when she was going to die in a matter of hours. Why bother feeding this family, if that family goes hungry?
Mother Theresa met those accusations with the belief that each face she looked into was the face of Jesus. She imagined herself washing the body of Christ, as she washed the dying who were brought off the streets, with sores, disease, maggots.
"Everytime she gave someone a cup of water, whe was giving it to the Lord; everytime she found a scrap of food for someone, she was finding it for him." Pg 31 Mother Theresa, Sister to the Poor by Patricia Reilly Giff
"She was determined. She would not stop. Instead of thinking of the crowds, the thousands, she thought of the one - the one closest, the one she was helping."
How did she do it? Up at 4:30 am each morning, she and the other sisters spent time in prayer. Teresa explained, "Prayer gives us the love and strength to make suffering people feel better." Teresa of Calcutta, Serving the Poorest of the Poor by D Jeanene Watson
I confess I have been focusing on the multitudes in life. My mercy heart, the heart that breaks when people feel pain, has often led me to try to make things better for others - to make suffering people feel better! As a nurse, that is my lifes goal, to make suffering people feel better - both physically, but emotionally and spiritually too.
As I focus on the multitudes and those I can not help, I have gotten depressed. Discouraged. I have taken the "Why bother?" approach. If I take on too many things to help others, my family suffers!
A few years ago, God led me to lay down my nursing career for a season of my life. One week, we were busy doing some final packing for a weekend trip to South Carolina. Our children were excited to visit their cousins. Brian brought the mail in and laid it on the table- junk, junk, bill, junk, - what's this? PA Department of.....oh, my nursing license. I held it briefly, unopened. I didn't have time to deal with it right then. I was packing last minute things and trying to get supper on the table.
That license is something I worked hard for as a single woman. Nursing school was a challenge, but I enjoyed learning. My parents would have been so proud to see me walk down to receive my diploma, and even more proud when I passed my NCLEX licensing exam and I could say with great pride - I'm an R.N.!
I attribute my parents illnesses with luekemia and multiple sclerosis as key in leading me to pursue a ministry in nursing. And that is what nursing was, and still is for me. A ministry. A way of showing Christ's love and mercy to the hurting. But my mom died when I was 10, my dad when I was 20. I graduated from nursing school when I was 23.
While I was in nursing school, I began working on a maternity unit as an assistant, beginning my career in Mommy/Baby nursing. The mother/baby bond is a passion of mine! My first job out of school was in Labor and Delivery. A job I continued - but in different areas until my third child was born.
Even then, though, only working very part time, I struggled with whether or not I should release nursing all together for a season - the busy season of raising 3 preschoolers. It was through a segment of scripture that my answer came. I opened to Isaiah 8:18 "Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me." It cross-referenced to Genesis 33:5, when Jacob met Esau on his long trip from Laban's home.
The verses that spoke to my heart were verses 12-14. After reuniting, Esau said to Jacob, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." He was going to Seir, his home. Jacob's response drives home the heart of God for families with babies and small children! "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir."
6 years have passed since I quit my job at the hospital. Since that time, my 3 preschoolers, became 4 and I had to learn how to move at the pace of my preschool children! Interestingly enough, they are now elementary age, and I am down to only one preschooler. The pace of the kids has picked up! Now I find it difficult to keep up with them!
Today, as I read over this scripture reference, I noticed that Jacob never got to Seir! He settled in another place. I guess I thought when I left work as a nurse, to slow my life's pace down, that the other nurses can go on ahead of me - that I would catch up. I left the other nurses who would continue to grow in that field, and gain more experience, and become better nurses. I figured that some day I would be back, and catch up to them.
But maybe not. Maybe my destination will change, like Jacob's did. He told Esau he would meet him in Seir. He ended up in another place. I've always thought I would go back to my nursing career. I'm thinking the destination might look a little different than I originally thought. Time will tell. Right now, I am just trying to focus on the beautiful faces of Jesus that are in front of me. My prayer is that I will not get discouraged by the multitude of need that I feel unable to effect change for, and focus on the needs that are right in front of me. The needs of my children and husband. The needs of our employees and those around me. I want to look at the face in front of me and serve them as I would be serving Jesus.
Like Mother Theresa, I want to alleviate suffering and when possible bring healing. I want to be a channel of blessing to those around me. I want to cast the vision for my children to respond to needs they see. To have their hearts stirred with compassion for those around them. Raising a family is a full time job. I am thankful that I am in a position to stay home with my children and enjoy that.
My prayer is that God continues to guide me and our family in ministering the love of Jesus wherever we go, and to encourage everyone not to focus on the multitudes.
Mother Theresa did not ignore the fact that the multitudes were present. She just didn't allow herself to get bogged down by the multitudes. She focused on the face in front of her - the face of Jesus.
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