St. Paul writes, “There are different gifts but the same spirit (1 Cor. 12:4)." I have spent several of the last 13 days in the Trauma ICU at Fairfax Hospital. The women and men who work there were given a special gift by God – a gift most do not receive. It is their task – their burden – to care for our loved ones in critical circumstances, and often, to sustain life itself. 24/7 ICU nurses watch and tend our sisters. In spacious, glass-enclosed rooms, they monitor vital signs and administer medications. Everything in the room has a function. Everything has been placed there to support or to heal. It is the ICU nurse who is on the front lines of the battle for life. I have been in awe of these good women and men. They are doing for our sisters what we cannot do. They are ever-watchful, respectful of our presence and attuned to the needs and dignity of each patient. They never seem to forget that these “patients” are our sisters - that every person in ICU is loved by someone.
Yesterday, Sister Anne Marie took a huge tin of her chocolate chip cookies to the nurse’s station. Their delight in that small act of gratitude was so genuine. Today, I praise the God of many gifts who has blessed our nurses with the courage, skill and knowledge to walk the line between life and death – the tender place where God decides what is best for each one who suffers. May God bless them and all who use their gifts to comfort and heal.
Blessings and love to you all…
- Sister Vicki
