"We are the clay and You our potter" Isa 64:8

This has been a very different year for me to say the least. Residency has come with a mix of joy, satisfaction, and yet heart break and frustration. This Christmas day for the first time, probably of several to come, I will be working.   I must be honest and say it has been very difficult for me to get in the Christmas spirit all month long. I had good intentions and put my tree up at the beginning of the month. For the first time I actually listened to Christmas music all month long instead of waiting until like 2 weeks before. I was really enjoying it all, until the Gatlinburg fires. I don’t really understand why exactly, but they hit me pretty hard, and every time I listened to Christmas music that’s all I could think about. Because few things go with the Christmas season like Gatlinburg TN. Since then all I could see was what I was missing out on. How lonely it can be to be working the holidays while in a different state than your family, without a family of your own. . . an...

“Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1-5 I was reading this this morning on my day off, and could just feel the story line building as I read and thought through this passage. Bear with me for a moment.  1- We have been justified, (made right with God)- how is that even possible? I know all the times I mess up and need forgiveness, yet it was not by anything I did but it was by faith. Faith? That’s it? Not faith plus living a good life? Not faith plus a long set of rules? Just faith . . . 2- I have peace with God th...

“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I Will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies, thou anoinest my head with oil; my cup runnith over.” Psalm 23:4,5 Don’t get me wrong, my first 2 weeks of residency have not been the valley of the shadow of death. But I have seen evil face to face in more ways than I would have liked. I’ve been surrounded by an environment rather devoid of the God I love. I only worked 72 hours this past week and about the same the first week.   But, at the same time, the other residents have been wonderful and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them and working alongside them. They have been incredibly patient with me in all my questions and inefficiency. I had honestly prepared for the worst. I thought I would be half asleep all the time, trying to keep my head above water while those around would be aggravated at how ‘green’ ...