This weekend I got to go to church while I worked. I love working Sunday mornings for this reason...and many more. As I started my shift at 7am patients and caregivers began to wake and get ready for another day. Except today they put on their nicest dresses...and they are nice! Within a few hours everybody was in their Sunday best and waiting for our ward service. It's a time set aside for patients, caregivers, nurses, doctors and ship crew to come together to praise God and worship Him, a message is shared and the healing process continues.
I love to be part of worship, anywhere really, but here it's so genuine. People sing and dance and praise God from their hearts. There was a joy in the air that I can't explain in words. The message was about faith journeys and I loved what was said. We talked about the paralytic who was brought by his friends to see Jesus and be healed. He came through the roof on a mat and walked out the front door. And Jesus said because of their faith you are healed. It made me think of our ortho patients. Great faith breaks through barriers, and many of our patients had huge barriers to break through to get here. Many of them came in carried and will walk out the door!
Psalm 121 says "I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." And James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you." I am so thankful that God can replace our fears with courage and as we draw near to him he will draw near to us.
