From One Touched
—shared by Ginny McMillan, FCN, RN, MSN, Congregational Care Nurse at New Hope Church (EFCA), MN and Advisory Board member, Elim Care Faith Community Nursing, former EFCA missionary nurse to the Congo.
An email from a missionary friend working in Africa caught my eye recently. She quoted Psalm 84:5-7, saying it had helped her in the discouragements and difficulties she was facing. I emailed I was praying for her, reminding her that particular portion of Scripture was one we had seized upon and were encouraged by as a missionary group when we were evacuated from Congo in December of 1996.
I began making some telephone calls. In talking with two different people under heavy health burdens, the Lord allowed me to use that Scripture to read and pray with them.
Several days later, another friend told me to look on April’s blog, (one of the women I had called). I was blessed. His Word does not return void! I share it with you for your encouragement:
Posted by the tumor diaries Thursday, November 18, 2010—
"Baca"
"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca (valley of tears), they make it a place of springs; the autumn rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength until it appears before the God in Zion." Psalm 84:5-7
Today was the first day that the pain became too intense for me to bear. I woke up in such excruciating pain that all I could do was cry …
Pounding shock waves rolled through my face as I tried to face the day ahead of me. I could not. My father came to my aid and took the two little boys over to his house to play so I could spend the day resting. I struggled all day in spirit as I did not think that I was strong enough to face this pain head on …
Half way through the haze of my deep sleep the phone rang and on the other end of the phone was the calming chime to a voice that identified herself as the "parish nurse." I was blown away when I heard that my new church home had a nurse, and I was so thankful that she decided to reach out to me that day.
She listened to my story then read the above verses from Psalms to me. It brought such comfort to me. The verse made me realize, that yes, my strength is in Him. That my heart is set on a life of serving, and that also as I pass through this time of tears and suffering, He leads me to beauty. There is always beauty in it.
I know you must think it sounds insane, but how beautiful is it to have people you do not even know come to your door and want to help you? How amazing is it that your children might grow closer to Jesus because they see you fighting with His strength? In that moment the beauty was in the voice of the nurse whose ministry it was to call those who were hurting and offer the right scripture at the right moment to lift me out the fog and re-direct me to Christ! She prayed for me and told me she would be in touch again.
What an amazing ministry. The past twenty four hours have been some of the longest of my life. Each smile brings forth an electric shock of pain; every step takes a moment of prayer before the first foot waivers. I reflect on the "Valley of Baca" and ask myself, "how can I turn this into something of beauty, or how can this bring me closer?"
God directs my every step and I am able to walk through it and point back to Him, when my boys ask "How?" I do not think there could ever be a more glorious reason to go through the valleys.
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