Intern for a Day

Today was an exciting day at work... you didn't think those two words could be used in the same sentence did you??? My job is to fundraise for a children's hospital. Sometimes it gets pretty stale because we hardly interact with our patients and doctors. Sometimes it's hard to remember why we're actually going through all the hoops to 'do what we do'. Contrary to popular opinion, fundraising is not a piece of cake. Yeah, no car washes or candy sales here folks. It involves an amazing strategic plan... you are trying to sell a 'feeling' as opposed to an object. Most people want something for their money...here people are asked to give gifts of $10,000 or more...and you don't get anything other than a feeling that you did something worthwile. It's better than receiving 'something' if you ask me!

My boss, which is an awesome person I must say... (you didn't think you could use those words in the same sentence either, huh?) arranged for four of us to 'intern' for a half day. We went and visited the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) where our critical patients are. There we found this baby boy who had trisonome 14 (a chromosome abnormality), hole in his heart, kidney failure, respiratory distress, feeding tube, and the list keeps growing and growing. The family had lost two babies due to miscarriage so of course, they want everything done to make sure their baby will survive. When we left, they were speaking with the parents about a tracheotomy...which is an incision made in the esophagous along with a breathing machine so the child can breath. Then we went on to surgery with my favorite doctor! He was correcting a teenage boy's curvature of the spine... we walked in to find the child face down with his back split from top to bottom. I didn't pass out! Thank God because like they said, 'if you start to pass out, fall backwards so you don't disturb our sterile environment'. We were able to see this amazing surgeon put screws in this boys back, bend a rod that fits in the screws, and actually straighten this boys spine...right in front of us... I mean right in front of us. Did you know you could actually move a spine? I thought, 'even with braces, they're tighted gradually'.

You know, there are many times that I am very depressed because I have to go to work. My son will say something like, 'you're leaving us'... and my daughter will say, 'mommy so and so's mom's don't have to work...why do you...you must not want to be home'. Of course, that's not the case, I would be home in a heartbeat if I could. It's days like today that remind me of God's plan for my life. I have to continue to trust Him to guide me. I know for a fact that He hand-picked me from my last place of employment. That place literally sucked the life out of me, I was basically a puddle of nothing when I left there. Of course, that affected all my other relationships and caused all sorts of other problems. It was at that time, of course, that led me back to Christ and snapped me back into the notion that I needed Him, and I couldn't do it on my own anymore. In the meantime He put me in this place where I'm surrounded my an understanding boss and a wonderful group of people who I truly consider family. One scripture stuck out in particular "Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up in honor" -- James 4:10. It is when we are at our lowest point, He can do the most good with us. I am thankful for that time, even though it was the hardest thing I've ever been through. I learned so much and look at things so differently now.

Of course, I still have those days...sometimes weeks when I have that guilt. I have to remind myself that God has a plan for my life. He has me here raising money for children's healthcare now... and is preparing me for something else I'm sure in the future. I have to know that He will provide time for me to spend with my children who I adore! Trying everyday to trust Him in all that I do...