Love That is Never Wasted: Celebrating National Nurses Day

Tomorrow is National Nurses Day. As I was asking God to teach me how to be thankful for this extraordinary profession, He brought to mind the story of the Good Samaritan:

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”‬ 

Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭30‬-‭34

Nurses are the “boots on the ground” and often have the most contact with the patients. They have the opportunity to make a huge difference when it comes to the actual experience of being under the care of a medical professional. Like the good Samaritan, many go above and beyond and deserve to be recognized and encouraged! I have had multiple surgeries and been under the care of many good nurses, but one experience stands out above the others:

Just over a year before I gave birth to my son, I was pregnant and expecting a daughter. Around six months into the pregnancy, we discovered that my unborn daughter, Laura, had Turner Syndrome and was dying. My doctor ordered weekly appointments to monitor her. The medical professionals gave us no hope. Just shy of nine months, I went in for my weekly appointment and they discovered that she had died. There is no way to describe the pain of carrying your dead child inside your womb. They could not induce me on that day and I didn’t feel like I could grieve. Just as she was still inside of my womb, the grief was pent up inside me and unable to make its way out. 

When I arrived at the Labor and Delivery Clinic of the hospital, a nurse named Barb was on duty. She took my hand and told me “we are going to take care of you AND your precious baby.” I was so grateful that she acknowledged Laura as a human. Laura was my little human and she had been struggling to live and grow in my womb for almost nine months. I had felt her stretch, hiccup, and move her little arms and legs. I was overwhelmed that this complete stranger, this nurse, was treating my unborn child with such dignity and respect. 

They induced me, and after several hours of labor I gave birth to Laura. As they handed her to me and I held her, Barb stood silently nearby. The tears streamed down my face as I looked down at the little face that would soon be in a dark grave. I knew that she was already with Jesus, but the thought of her little body being buried after having been such an intimate part of me was crushing. Then Barb stepped in. She understood my pain and she wanted to help bear it. She said: “We have a place prepared for Laura. Your children, Sara and Grace, have brought little keepsakes for her (she had planned for this while I was in labor). The girls can say goodbye to their sister and we will arrange their little keepsakes around her in a beautifully decorated box.” 

The tears of grief flowed like small rivers down my face. Barb gently took Laura from me and let the girls and their father touch her and say their goodbyes. She arranged all of the little keepsakes around her in a beautiful white box lined with white satin. We each said our goodbyes and she was taken to the funeral home. 

Barb was my Good Samaritan. She went above and beyond what her duties required. She gave our family the kind of love that doesn’t ask for anything in return. I will never forget her kindness. Wherever she is today, I hope she reads this and knows how much she touched our family. She shared with us God’s love and I will never forget her.

The act of sharing God’s love is never wasted.

Nurses who take the time to share God’s unconditional love with their patients, are extraordinary. Thank a nurse today!

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