The Tender grace of God
I was sitting in Barns and Noble yesterday reading Elmo book after Elmo book to my almost 2 year old nephew Kelvin when I received a text from Andrew saying, "I can come!!!!!" Almost immediately tears began to flood my eyes until Kelvin voiced hid displeasure that I had stopped reading. Today was my white coat ceremony, and mom and Kelvin came up Friday night to hang out. This had been on the family calender for a while, but I never really expected so many people to celebrate it with me! The hardest thing about medical school has been learning to be on my own. Separating myself from my family while trying to keep my head above water in class. With Andrew in DC and staying on an extremely tight workout schedule with the track team it never occurred to me that I would get to see him for this momentous occasion. I had prepared myself to gloss over the whole thing like it wasn't a big deal. My mentor, Kathy, and the doctor who God used to point me in this direction wasn't able to come because she too lived and worked in DC for the coast guard.
A long story short, I talked to her on Friday and we realized that just maybe she could actually make it, and if she could make it, then maybe, just maybe Andrew could too! All day Friday and most of Saturday I didn't let myself believe it. Of all my family I probably miss Andrew the most, so to get excited about him coming and then the let down if he couldn't, well, I didn't want to face that. But yesterday morning all that changed. His coach let him miss practice, Kathy was able to get away form work, even with the ensuing Hurricane threat on DC, and somehow God allowed them to come! They left that night and last night Andrew, mom, and I embraced like we so badly wanted to for so long! We went to bed late and this morning, of course, he still had to run 11 miles. Around 1, dad arrived with Julie, Jennifer, my grandfather, and one of my best friends ever, Emily. We made our way to the Virginia Tech campus and then in 2 hours the ceremony was over. It was nice, at least that's what everyone tells me. I honestly was so concerned about not looking like an idiot trying to let someone else put a coat on me that I didn't pay much attention to anything else.
So, now I guess I am officially Student Doctor Ogle. I have a really cool white coat with my name on it, and my very first ever stethoscope! It felt kind of weird holding my stethoscope knowing that it was mine, and that I would actually be using it in real life! I think it may finally be hitting me that I am a medical student, meaning that I really am going to be a doctor in the quite near future.
After lots of pictures, hugs, laughs, and of course food everyone left. And now I'm stilling on my bed really wanting to go to sleep, but knowing that with the 3 tests I have this week I really have to study, especially since I didn't all weekend. I am still in amazement that God would bless this time so richly! It was super short, but it couldn't have been sweeter! Ever since Andrew told me he was coming, I have just not had the words to thank God! Or really even Kathy for that matter, who drove 4.5 hours in the dark both ways! I am completely overwhelmed by the grace God has poured out on me! Not only today but in every little thing leading up to the significance of what today meant.
Lastly, because the ONLY reason I am who I am is the amazing grace of God, I want to leave you with my thoughts from this week, "Oswald Chambers says, "We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were 'foolish' enough to trust God's wisdom and His supernatural equipment." The statement is the summary of the last 2 years of my life, and for reference, read the early postings on this blog! And another thought from Oswald as I, well all of us, continue where He leads, "The one great challenge to us is- do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God's sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said?"
WOW! Never in my life did I think I would be where I am! Never did I think, that so many people would be here with me today to celebrate what God is doing! May I echo what Paul says in 2 Cor 10:17, "he who glories, let him glory in the Lord." For it is only by His unimaginable grace that we have anything to glory about! "praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!"
A long story short, I talked to her on Friday and we realized that just maybe she could actually make it, and if she could make it, then maybe, just maybe Andrew could too! All day Friday and most of Saturday I didn't let myself believe it. Of all my family I probably miss Andrew the most, so to get excited about him coming and then the let down if he couldn't, well, I didn't want to face that. But yesterday morning all that changed. His coach let him miss practice, Kathy was able to get away form work, even with the ensuing Hurricane threat on DC, and somehow God allowed them to come! They left that night and last night Andrew, mom, and I embraced like we so badly wanted to for so long! We went to bed late and this morning, of course, he still had to run 11 miles. Around 1, dad arrived with Julie, Jennifer, my grandfather, and one of my best friends ever, Emily. We made our way to the Virginia Tech campus and then in 2 hours the ceremony was over. It was nice, at least that's what everyone tells me. I honestly was so concerned about not looking like an idiot trying to let someone else put a coat on me that I didn't pay much attention to anything else.
So, now I guess I am officially Student Doctor Ogle. I have a really cool white coat with my name on it, and my very first ever stethoscope! It felt kind of weird holding my stethoscope knowing that it was mine, and that I would actually be using it in real life! I think it may finally be hitting me that I am a medical student, meaning that I really am going to be a doctor in the quite near future.
After lots of pictures, hugs, laughs, and of course food everyone left. And now I'm stilling on my bed really wanting to go to sleep, but knowing that with the 3 tests I have this week I really have to study, especially since I didn't all weekend. I am still in amazement that God would bless this time so richly! It was super short, but it couldn't have been sweeter! Ever since Andrew told me he was coming, I have just not had the words to thank God! Or really even Kathy for that matter, who drove 4.5 hours in the dark both ways! I am completely overwhelmed by the grace God has poured out on me! Not only today but in every little thing leading up to the significance of what today meant.
Lastly, because the ONLY reason I am who I am is the amazing grace of God, I want to leave you with my thoughts from this week, "Oswald Chambers says, "We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were 'foolish' enough to trust God's wisdom and His supernatural equipment." The statement is the summary of the last 2 years of my life, and for reference, read the early postings on this blog! And another thought from Oswald as I, well all of us, continue where He leads, "The one great challenge to us is- do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God's sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said?"
WOW! Never in my life did I think I would be where I am! Never did I think, that so many people would be here with me today to celebrate what God is doing! May I echo what Paul says in 2 Cor 10:17, "he who glories, let him glory in the Lord." For it is only by His unimaginable grace that we have anything to glory about! "praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!"
thanks jane! GBU
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