The Reminder

Luke 14 Now He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, Give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, Friend, move up higher. Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

As I am reading these verses the Holy Spirit brings to mind two very different experiences at two different times in the same place. A very appropriate reminder.

As I was preparing for my first trip to Shevet Achim the Lord spoke to me repeatedly about being humble. This would be a very new and different experience in my life. Every experience there would be basically a first; the staff, the hospital, the families and it was if He was saying to me, Don't push. Don't talk all the time or state your opinions or goals, just let them get to know you and be patient. Wait to be invited for new opportunities and then be willing to experience all that I have for you.

Other people would ask if I would be allowed to function as a nurse or go to the hospital and I didn't know. I really went with no expectations. Just anticipations of what I might be allowed to do there.

In the car on the ride up to Jerusalem, Donna Petrel, one of the staff members at Shevet Achim asked me just how involved I wanted to be with going to the hospital. I still remember that, her turning to me and asking this and I answered that I wanted to do everything and she just smiled and said that she had hoped I would say that. And do everything I did.

I made rounds with the doctors, I went to the OR, gave meds, took vitals, shared meals and watched echos. I did everything I had hoped I would be able to do.

And that is the part of the story that is easy to tell.

Now on the next trip either the Lord didn't speak those same truths because He thought I had surely learned the lesson of being humble on the first trip or He was silent about it because He knew I was going to learn a different kind of lesson.

So when I arrived at Shevet Achim the second time I kinda had some expectations of what I would be doing. I thought I would start to work immediately doing the same as before, going to OR, making rounds, feeling like I was contributing and if you have been a reader of this blog for some time you might recall how I was a little bit put out on the first day that a trip to was made to the hospital and I was at the house cleaning the bathroom. Good grief and shame on me! How arrogant to think that I have anything to offer. This ministry belongs to God and is well equipped and has functioning for a long time without the help of Nelly Nurse from Tennessee.

I cannot believe I share these truths about myself. They are so embarrassing but it is for a purpose and part of it is this...We are flawed. To the core. And by His mercy and through His love, Christ speaks to us about learning to just let Him live through us.

We are by our very nature selfish, greedy, arrogant, deceitful, vain and self centered and He, well He is not.

Galatians 5 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like that...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

And maybe being willing to clean the bathroom :)

I am sure that I will learn this and many other embarrassing lessons in life, and I will probably be asked of the Lord to share these as well, but He is growing me up. He is growing in me. Hopefully, at some point, you will see so much of Him that you barely sense me at all.