Faith on the Frontlines
Faith on the frontlines: a blog posting by Nancy Hilborn – a nurse and member of the Eastern Synod’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry Committee.
COVID-19 || When I started nursing school, we talked briefly about pandemics- what had happened in the past and what could happen in the future. Never in my nursing career would I think I would be working in one. I never thought that the world would be turned upside down so quickly with no one really knowing when it’s going to be right side up again. This pandemic has made me realize how much I miss. I miss sweet coffee dates; supper dates and games nights with friends. I miss my church family, and the fellowship we shared each week. I missed Easter with my family. I miss what were “normal” days at work. I miss routines that I used to have. I miss being able to go into stores without thinking about what I needed to get.
Instead, I have traded those coffee dates, supper dates and games nights into sweet Facetime sessions with friends. Instead of church with my church family, I am emailing weekly sermons out to the church congregation and occasionally seeing them in the small town where I live, all while keeping my distance. Instead of Easter with my family, I spent Easter at work, trying to put smiles on the faces of my residents, who just like me are missing their families. Instead of normal routines at work, I’m trying to get use to all the changes- and just when we are used to them they change again. Instead of routines that I used to have, I’m trying to adapt to the moment and be in the moment. Instead of wandering in a store looking through all the aisles, I’m making lists so that I can spend the least amount of time in the store.
One of my current favourite worship songs to play is called I CHOOSE TO WORSHIP by Rend Collective (actually the whole album is FANTASTIC- I highly suggest to download it). The chorus of the song goes:
I will praise You through the fire
Through the storm and through the flood
There is nothing that could ever steal my song
In the valley You are worthy, you are good when life is not
You will always and forever be my song
It has become kind of a routine to put this song on when I go to work. I have been known to turn the volume up, and roll the windows down, singing this song at the top on my lungs. The chorus reminds me that through all this, whatever may happen, Jesus is with us, and I will be praising Him through it all.
Life might be chaotic, frustrating and upsetting. Life is moving slowly, events, concerts, and gatherings are being challenged. The world seems to be so uncertain. However, through all this I’m thankful. I’m thanking Jesus daily that I have a job- even though it may be extremely stressful right now. I’m thankful that I have some of the best friends who make time for zoom calls, and group text messages. I’m thankful for my church family – who checks on each other even when we can’t be together. I’m thankful for my work family- who make me smile every day. I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for Jesus. Through this crazy season, I will be praising Jesus through the fire and the flood. I’m thankful that in this season of craziness I have fallen back in love with things that I had forgotten about. Things like reading, taking walks and being still. Things like quality time with my family, and realizing my passion for nursing is even stronger now than it was. Things like calm Sunday mornings. Life was on autopilot for me. The routine was the same- get up, go to work, come home, eat supper and watch TV. Now it’s slowed down slightly, days off consist of walks through our property with my dog, time spent outside, learning more and reading more and spending more time with family; and for that I am thankful.