May - July
I can thank the Lord and say that it is finally finished. We wrote finals in November last year and we received our results in March - I passed! We graduated last week and it was such an honor and a privilege to recite the nurses pledge before other people, more importantly before my mom and obviously before God as my witness.
'I solemnly pledge myself to the service of humanity and will endeavour to practise my profession with conscience and with dignity.I will maintain, by all the means in my power, the honour and noble tradition of my profession. The total health of my patients will be my first consideration.I will hold in confidence all personal matters coming to my knowledge.I will not permit consideration of religion, nationality, race or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient.I will maintain the utmost respect for human life.I make these promises solemly, freely and upon my honour.'
Now having completed the course, many have asked, will I study further? will I specialize? Who do I want to work for? what are my plans ? What now? And to be brutally honest I don't know?
I am praying for direction and leading, I really don't want to study further and I don't want to be a full time nurse working the hours that they do. I have been doing pilates to help me with my running and my pilates instructor encouraged me to do a Pilates instructor course, so that's what I have been upto in the mean time. I have been waiting for my documents so that I can get my registration done. Everything in Africa takes longer than expected, it's good training ground for unmet expectations and in the meantime the Lord is dealing with my heart. So right now I am a full time home maker and pretty unsure about what is next.
Last year December mom and I were able to travel a bit and I am so thankful to the Lord for the time that we had - 30 days together really stretched us both but it was so good for our friendship. I got to know my mom better and she got to know me better. I am not really sure how she survived a whole month with me but she did by the grace of God we both survived the experience and I wouldn't change it for the world. Travelling a bit overseas has helped me to appreciate the reality of the Holy Spirits' work in believers lives. It hit me in Australia, I have always considered the Church to be rather weak over there, having visited a few congregations I was encouraged to see that, despite the comfort that most Australians experience, they too have trials and challenges, especially brothers and sisters that have immigrated. It is never easy to try and start a new life somewhere else, one of the hardest changes is probably finding a new body, settling in and adapting to the culture. In my mind these families are missionaries, and have so much opportunity to live out their faith among the lost.
The state of the Church and the sinfulness of man really hit me when we were in Rome - so much history, so much evidence of Christ's life and so many people still deny Him. It was so sad to see how much the pope is praised and exalted on Christmas day - people were more excited to see the Pope than to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes when I think of how life is on a practical level I look at all the obstacles,I see all the flaws, it becomes easy to wonder where God is in the whole picture. But God IS God and He is there, we just need eyes of faith to see His glory in it. And praise the Lord in His grace He lets us see small glimpses of His glory when our faith is wavering.That's what God has been teaching me lately - to stop looking at all the obstacles and heart aches and to look up at Him and to marvel in His glory every day. To run the race, to finish well and never to give up, to get up, and to do the next thing I have to do right despite how many times I have failed Him - for His glory alone!
I can thank the Lord and say that it is finally finished. We wrote finals in November last year and we received our results in March - I passed! We graduated last week and it was such an honor and a privilege to recite the nurses pledge before other people, more importantly before my mom and obviously before God as my witness.
'I solemnly pledge myself to the service of humanity and will endeavour to practise my profession with conscience and with dignity.I will maintain, by all the means in my power, the honour and noble tradition of my profession. The total health of my patients will be my first consideration.I will hold in confidence all personal matters coming to my knowledge.I will not permit consideration of religion, nationality, race or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient.I will maintain the utmost respect for human life.I make these promises solemly, freely and upon my honour.'
These are big steps to fill, its a bit frighting, knowing what I know and knowing how much responsibility it is to work with people's lives.
I am praying for direction and leading, I really don't want to study further and I don't want to be a full time nurse working the hours that they do. I have been doing pilates to help me with my running and my pilates instructor encouraged me to do a Pilates instructor course, so that's what I have been upto in the mean time. I have been waiting for my documents so that I can get my registration done. Everything in Africa takes longer than expected, it's good training ground for unmet expectations and in the meantime the Lord is dealing with my heart. So right now I am a full time home maker and pretty unsure about what is next.
Last year December mom and I were able to travel a bit and I am so thankful to the Lord for the time that we had - 30 days together really stretched us both but it was so good for our friendship. I got to know my mom better and she got to know me better. I am not really sure how she survived a whole month with me but she did by the grace of God we both survived the experience and I wouldn't change it for the world. Travelling a bit overseas has helped me to appreciate the reality of the Holy Spirits' work in believers lives. It hit me in Australia, I have always considered the Church to be rather weak over there, having visited a few congregations I was encouraged to see that, despite the comfort that most Australians experience, they too have trials and challenges, especially brothers and sisters that have immigrated. It is never easy to try and start a new life somewhere else, one of the hardest changes is probably finding a new body, settling in and adapting to the culture. In my mind these families are missionaries, and have so much opportunity to live out their faith among the lost.
The state of the Church and the sinfulness of man really hit me when we were in Rome - so much history, so much evidence of Christ's life and so many people still deny Him. It was so sad to see how much the pope is praised and exalted on Christmas day - people were more excited to see the Pope than to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes when I think of how life is on a practical level I look at all the obstacles,I see all the flaws, it becomes easy to wonder where God is in the whole picture. But God IS God and He is there, we just need eyes of faith to see His glory in it. And praise the Lord in His grace He lets us see small glimpses of His glory when our faith is wavering.That's what God has been teaching me lately - to stop looking at all the obstacles and heart aches and to look up at Him and to marvel in His glory every day. To run the race, to finish well and never to give up, to get up, and to do the next thing I have to do right despite how many times I have failed Him - for His glory alone!
