Apart from including God in our plans and work, we can do nothing. Prayer has been the fuel for everything that we do.
I’ve quickly come to realize that prayer is one of the most powerful and personal things we can do as Christians.
“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
– 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)
I didn’t always believe this– let
alone live this. It seems ridiculous now. I mean, who travels halfway
around the world to serve God, but doesn’t realize that God answers
prayer? However, as I mentioned in my story, I’ve been working out my faith and returning to the path God has laid out for me.
We’re beginning a new day of surgeries– we pray.
There is an engineering issue– we pray.
We’re facing a new challenge– we pray.
We’re discussing possible solutions– we pray.
We’re spending time together laughing and learning– we pray.
Prayer is answered– we thank God and pray some more.
What once would have been, “How am I going to accomplish this?” has become, “Let’s ask God and see how He’s going to do this.”
I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Gary Parker, Max Fax
surgeon and CMO of Mercy Ships. One of the things that has impressed me
so much about him and many of the long term crew members is their
humility. It isn’t about what an individual has accomplished or Mercy
Ships has done. It is about what God is already doing. Surgeons from around the world have asked him, “How are you able to
perform these surgeries so successfully and without greater
complications than we see in developed countries?”
In my prior experience, most doctors (and especially surgeons) have a
god complex. And it is difficult not to develop one when it seems that
you have patients’ lives in your hands. Even for me, I began to
believe that if I did all the right things a nurse should do
and controlled all the circumstances, my patients would do better.
That is why Dr. Gary’s response surprised me. He has said that it is
only by God’s power that these patients do so well. God asks us to use
our talents and skills for Him and He is the one who does the healing.
If we try to do it by our own power, it will fail.
Here’s just one example of how this belief is lived out on board:
Someone told me that there have been times when a ship-wide
announcement was made during a complicated surgery. These announcements
aren’t calling for further reinforcements to the OR, but it is a call
to prayer for the patient who may not be doing well.
The truth that many health care workers, including myself, don’t want
to face is, with all of our years of education and experience, we are
faulty and we aren’t in complete control. I could do all the right
things and still everything could hit the fan.
Prayer is the acknowledgement that I don’t have anything under control and God has everything under control. And here’s the kicker– God knows each and every one of our needs and He cares about them!
“Ok, He already knows. So why do I have to pray if He knows what I’m going to ask?” Well, think about this… what gift would you appreciate more? A gift
given by a complete stranger or your best friend? I’m more likely to
question the motives behind a stranger’s generosity. “What do they really want from me? Are they just trying to buy my loyalty or devotion?” But when it is a friend, I know that their gift is given out of love–
no ulterior motives. And they probably gave me a gift that I actually
want because they know me well. It might be a gift that I didn’t even
know I wanted.
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
– Matthew 7:11 (NLT)
It’s even more so with God. I’m finding that life isn’t about our
destination, but our journey. If God gave me everything I ask for the
instant I asked for it, I KNOW that I wouldn’t appreciate it as much.
But when a long awaited gift arrives to me by surprise (not to His
because His timing is perfect), it is the most precious thing in the
world. I can look back on my life and see how He brought me to the
precise moment when I was finally ready for the perfect gift. And
sometimes the perfect gift isn’t what I originally wanted or requested,
but it is exactly what I needed.
But how can I trust that He has my best interests at heart when I
don’t know Him? That is where prayer comes in. God already knows me
totally and intimately. Prayer is the place where you open your mind
and heart to what God has to say and share. In this way, we become
closer to Him. I’ve discovered that a relationship with God is greater
than any gift He could give us.
Just think about this: The God of the universe wants a personal,
on-going conversation with you and me– where we share our hopes, dreams,
fears, worries, struggles, concerns, needs, wants, and celebrations.
My second weekend here, we held a prayer meeting at the HOPE (Hospital Out-Patient Extension) Center.
There is limited space on the ship for patients to stay long term.
The HOPE Center is a place where our patients, who travel to Tamatave
from all over Madagascar, can live and recover for as long as they need.
It is also the location for our obstetric fistula (OBF) clinic and
dental clinic. Once they are fully recovered, Mercy Ships assists
patients with transportation back to their homes.
For returning crew members, this prayer meeting was a celebration.
Last field service, Mercy Ships had begun renovations to a wing of
the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toamasina (CHUT)– the local
hospital here. With the renovations finally complete, we were able to
tour the building and see where our patients will be staying before and
after surgery.
(Photo Credit: Mercy Ships)
(Photo Credit: Mercy Ships)
The HOPE center has over 200 beds available– more than any other HOPE center in Mercy Ships’ history. This means that we are able to perform more surgeries without overwhelming the Ward on board the ship. We spent time together praying for all the capacity building projects as well as the HOPE center and all of its staff, day crew, and patients.
God has already done amazing things here in Tamatave. Some of them small glimpses of heaven on earth; some large, completely unbelievable miracles. And there are greater things still be done– many of which I won’t be able to witness while I’m here. However, I have the privilege of being a “seed planter”– of being faithful in my work and committed to prayer in this temporary world so there will be an eternal impact in the future.
Someday, flowers will grow here…
“Take My Hand– We’ll Make It With Prayer!”
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