April 25, 2023 - A Good One

     I have a good one.  That could be construed to go in a lot of different directions.
     Jesus said to the Rich Young Ruler that there is no one good except God alone.  Goodness is one of the marks of our Heavenly Father.
     So far, today has been a good one.  Almost “nine hours” of sleep in 2-3 hour intervals last night.  I finally had to get up because my back was hurting from lying in bed so long.   The wall yesterday that morphed into a dense fog most of the day is more penetrable today, though not totally gone. 
     I could say a good one in terms of my wife, my kids, most of the things in my life, etc.  There are lots of people who are good to me.  I try to never expect that nor fail to be grateful for that.
     The good one I have today is the nurse who is taking care of me.  I would take her every time, but the Cancer Center doesn’t take requests.
     She has a heart for cancer patients.  She has worked as an oncology nurse for 16 years, except one eight-month stretch.  Her heart was in oncology and she returned to the Cancer Center.  To protect her, I will call her CCN.  Some smart folks have figured out that is an acronym for Cancer Center Nurse.   I am such a creative thinker.
     CCN has qualities that make her an excellent nurse.  She is competent and highly skilled.  I can tell by her actions that everything is going to be done correctly.   She inserted the IV on the first stick and it was less painful than normal.  I thought that the only issue was that she put the IV in the hairy part of my arm.  Later she knew how to take it out with little pain from the hair.
     CCN has an empathy about her that is easily detected.  Maybe she has worked here long enough to understand some of what her patients are feeling.
     I felt like I was the only patient that she had.  For lots of the morning I was, but I think I would have felt that way anyway.
     She is gentle.  I like gentle nurses.
     And she has a very sweet spirit.  My guess is that she is a believer.   She has much of the likeness of Jesus in her.
     Caregivers are vitally important in the healing process.  Simply administering the correct dose is far from a good caregiver’s calling. 
     The world would be a much brighter place if every Christian would see their calling as a place to serve others with the gentleness of Jesus.
     Thank you, Lord, for a good one, a really good one today.