“Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth…”
Hosea 2:14-15, NIV 2011
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
There she will respond as in the days of her youth…”
Hosea 2:14-15, NIV 2011
Have you ever felt like you were being led into the wilderness? The commonwealth of Kentucky does not boast of a booming metropolis, but this resident’s new home is less than half the size of Lexington. This fact itself made her fear that she was moving to a “desolate” town with little attractions. Combined with the prevailing bewilderment of learning how to sail in any new city and the fear of being perceived as an incompetent intern, it left much to be hoped for. Yet, she has been blown away during the last week and a half! God truly provided and continued to assure her that this is where He wants her to be at this time.
For her, strength always starts in the Word. About a month ago, the Lord gave her this passage in Hosea. She felt that He was bluntly declaring, “Yes, you are about to enter the wilderness.” Ugh! Thanks a lot! But through it, He promises to allure her as well, “to attract [me] with something desirable,” to invite her further into His presence.
She is determined not to allow residency to be the “black hole” of her journey. She wants to not only survive residency, but to thrive! She is becoming more and more excited with each passing day. Last week she started orientation. During a meeting with HR, her fingerprints were taken and she had the opportunity to meet a sweet lady, whose name was actually Grace. She told Grace she was new to the area and, by the end of the conversation, Grace was telling her about the different churches in town and giving out her contact information, just in case she should need anything.
The next day, she was anxious to meet my co-interns. She prayed that God would unite the residents and that they might serve one another over the next 5 years as a team. God is always true to His promises. So far, they have bonded through a couple of lunches and dinners. It feels like God is putting together many of the seemingly missing pieces. She met with SIU’s CMDA Campus Director yesterday and was so encouraged by his support. He told her of a few other residents who were involved in CMDA during medical school, so she’s planning to meet with them this upcoming week. God has also provided a friend entering into urology to visit churches together and discover some of the unique restaurants in Springfield.
She’s finding that this city is not such a wilderness at all (even though residency may be another story…). It is full of kind people willing to answer her many questions, and it is a city sprinkled with a vast history. Yesterday, a waiter at a local café told her a story about John L. Lewis, who founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and his time and significance in Springfield. This is just one small historical tidbit and an example of the caring people the Lord has placed in her path. She loves how He gives little connections one-by-one. When she keeps her eyes open and looks for His work, He surprises her and places her in awe.
Tomorrow is another big day, filled with orientation meetings and new people. With her new friend, she plans to attend a dinner hosted by the young adult ministry of a local church and then worship together on Sunday.
It’s scary to think that next Sunday, she may be on-call, alone and in a new hospital. But for right now, she is enjoying this time of adventure and discovery.
For her, strength always starts in the Word. About a month ago, the Lord gave her this passage in Hosea. She felt that He was bluntly declaring, “Yes, you are about to enter the wilderness.” Ugh! Thanks a lot! But through it, He promises to allure her as well, “to attract [me] with something desirable,” to invite her further into His presence.
She is determined not to allow residency to be the “black hole” of her journey. She wants to not only survive residency, but to thrive! She is becoming more and more excited with each passing day. Last week she started orientation. During a meeting with HR, her fingerprints were taken and she had the opportunity to meet a sweet lady, whose name was actually Grace. She told Grace she was new to the area and, by the end of the conversation, Grace was telling her about the different churches in town and giving out her contact information, just in case she should need anything.
The next day, she was anxious to meet my co-interns. She prayed that God would unite the residents and that they might serve one another over the next 5 years as a team. God is always true to His promises. So far, they have bonded through a couple of lunches and dinners. It feels like God is putting together many of the seemingly missing pieces. She met with SIU’s CMDA Campus Director yesterday and was so encouraged by his support. He told her of a few other residents who were involved in CMDA during medical school, so she’s planning to meet with them this upcoming week. God has also provided a friend entering into urology to visit churches together and discover some of the unique restaurants in Springfield.
She’s finding that this city is not such a wilderness at all (even though residency may be another story…). It is full of kind people willing to answer her many questions, and it is a city sprinkled with a vast history. Yesterday, a waiter at a local café told her a story about John L. Lewis, who founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and his time and significance in Springfield. This is just one small historical tidbit and an example of the caring people the Lord has placed in her path. She loves how He gives little connections one-by-one. When she keeps her eyes open and looks for His work, He surprises her and places her in awe.
Tomorrow is another big day, filled with orientation meetings and new people. With her new friend, she plans to attend a dinner hosted by the young adult ministry of a local church and then worship together on Sunday.
It’s scary to think that next Sunday, she may be on-call, alone and in a new hospital. But for right now, she is enjoying this time of adventure and discovery.
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