Musings of a Nurse (my work life)

[Doctor Steuss]

Hah, no. I’ve never been an ER nurse. I did work a while in a multi-specialty clinic that included, I suppose, a colorectal clinic. Sometimes you would encounter things you wish you’d never heard. We called it the booty clinic.

I'm going to consider myself lucky that the daily ER download I had to comb over for CDC reporting wasn't overly detailed.

Or maybe unlucky? Probably would have made the job more interesting.

[msnobody]

Sadly, I learned today that the patient ( I’ll call him Patient Somebody) that I sent out to the ER on 11/25/22 passed away just five weeks later. No more struggling with mental health issues or drug addiction. RIP, my friend, Patient Somebody. You will always be fondly remembered.

[msnobody]

A call we never want to have to make for ourselves, but one I received a few minutes ago. "Am I going to die? Is there anything ya'll can do for me?"

Death is where the rubber hits the road with our faith. We all have faith in something. It is the object of that faith (or trust) that must be grounded on a sure foundation. Regarding the certainty of God's promises, for us who believe the One who made those promises, Hebrews 6:19 says "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." We have direct access to God through Jesus Christ, whose priesthood never ends.

We never know when death is going to come calling on us, whether with or without warning. We do however know that short of Jesus' return, each and every one of us will breath a last breath upon this earth. For it is appointment for man once to die, and then judgement.

Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints."

Regarding Jesus, "Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross... and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:2

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive together with Christ..... and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" Eph. 2:4, 5b,6

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Eph. 1:3-4

"when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it." Eph. 1:13b-14

And, finally, the doxology:
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now for evermore, Amen." Jude 1:24-25

All the Father has given me, I will lose none. John 10:28, 29

No fear in death

[Physics Guy]

The gospels seem to show Jesus feeling forsaken in the face of death. The famous line is from a psalm, so conceivably he was still in control enough to be reciting it as one last bit of rabbinical teaching, but it was a pretty bleak verse to spring to his mind at the time.

I hope I'll face death with faith and courage, but if it scares me, I feel I'll at least be in good company, reaching up a hand in the dark, hoping a parent is there.