Even in religious education one
doesn’t always get the answer they
expect. In order to teach
compassion, one teacher began her
class with the question: “What would
you do if you were walking along a
road and saw a person who was
terribly beaten and bruised and
covered with blood?”
In a moment of honesty, a little
girl replied, “I'd probably throw
up.”
There are many professions I should
leave alone. I have neither the
constitution nor the aptitude for
them. And one of those occupations
is nursing. Like the little girl, I
might seriously embarrass myself.
But I deeply admire those
compassionate women and men who
labor in the nursing profession.
Some years ago, a six-year-old boy
from Corvallis, Oregon (United
States) suffered burns over 85% of
his body. His condition was so
severe that several doctors gave up
and one hospital would not admit him
because they thought he would die
anyway.
His life was saved, however, by
eight courageous and committed
people – his parents, three nurses
and three doctors. The nurses
emerged as the true heroines in this
real-life drama. After other nurses
had quit, these women took
eight-hour shifts with the boy,
seeing him through skin grafts,
operations, crucial periods in which
death almost gained victory, and
dull, dragging days of
rehabilitation. The boy grew to
dislike them, as he innocently
thought they caused his intense
pain.
His room was like a dungeon. It
measured 12 feet by 12 feet. The
door was tightly shut, shades were
drawn, heat blazed from a gooseneck
lamp shining as a substitute for
blankets. The humidity was so high
the walls dripped with moisture, and
dank air smelled of burned flesh and
chlorine-soaked dressings.
The nurses stayed with him, dressed
in caps, gowns, masks and gloves as
if they were assisting an operation.
Within an hour they would be soaked
with perspiration. For 14
desperately long months these
dedicated three gave their all to
the ailing boy. Then, one day, he
finally climbed from his bed and
walked.
It was a great day! The nurses were
rewarded for their tireless effort.
The lives of all three were so
deepened and their sense of
satisfaction so great after fighting
off the temptation to quit for 14
months, that each said they’d put
forth the effort again.
What caused them to feel so
satisfied? I think it was more than
simply the fact that the boy lived.
Together they attempted something
nearly impossible, but also truly
worthwhile. They poured their lives
out for the sake of someone else.
It is like something American
educator Booker T. Washington once
said: “Those who are happiest are
those who do the most for others.”
What these nurses did was
significant. They worked hard and
they worked selflessly. And in doing
so, they found contentment.
Do you want to be happier?
Don't pray for blessings; pray for
important work to do.
Don't pray for prestige; pray for a
place to serve.
Don't pray for more things to use;
pray to become more useful.
Don't pray for greater pleasure;
pray for greater purpose.
Don't pray for an easier path; pray
for joy on the journey, wherever it
leads.
If you do, I believe your prayers
will be answered.
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