I have been a
medic for over 20 years now. I when I
first began a career in EMS, I had the Randy Rescue syndrome. I thought I hung the moon because "Save Lives." I must say I was proud of myself. I graduated top of the class. I was beyond proficient in all the basic and
advance medical skills I was trained to do.
My clinical instructors always rated me above average. I was confident, my peers were confident in
me, my instructors were confident in me, and I knew it. I was proud.
Before I graduated paramedic school, I took
the exam for Broward County EMS, now Broward County Fire Rescue. This exam was mandatory if you wanted to be
considered for a job. When I took the
exam, there were over 1200 candidates. Every
candidate was ranked from 1 to 1200+ based on their scores. I was number 6. Again, I had not even graduated school
yet. Oh yea! I was that good. In fact, when a job came open, the top five
were interviewed for the position.
Before I graduated, I was selected in round two after completing my
interview and skills testing. One
problem, I was not a medic yet. It was not long after I graduated that I graduated
that I did secure a job with the county.
I was proud, my
wife was proud, my family was proud, everyone who knew me was proud. I was proud for a different reason. I was proud because I thought more highly of
myself. I had become a public Hero. Everyone else was proud because I had
accomplished something honorable.
I would come home
after very shift and brag to Carri about what "I" had done. "I" performed all these advanced
skills, "I" diagnosed a complicated patient, "I" had to
take over because so and so could not do it, and "I" saved someone's
life. "I", "I",
"I", "I", "I"… It was always "I." Look what "I" did, guess what "I"
did, you will not believe what "I" did.
I remember very
distinctly one day, Carri said, "Are you listening to yourself?" "What do you mean?" She said,
"Everything you say is I. Where is
god in that?" "I don't get
what you are saying." Then Carri said this, "God gave you the skills
and knowledge to do what you do. I
suggest you give Him the glory and praise before He takes it away from
you." I got mad and it did not sink
in for a little while.
After our talk, I
began to notice, "I" was not doing so well anymore. "I" was missing IV's, "I"
was not able to intubate, "I" could not figure out what to treat, "I"
had fallen off my self-made pedestal. I
had made myself a god. I was a Randy
Rescue, passionate about what I was doing that made myself a Para god.
I realized, exactly
what Carri was saying, God had given me the skills and knowledge to do what He
wanted me to do. I had made it my own,
all about me. God had given me a
ministry, and I made it my own shrine. I
got on my knees and asked God to forgive me for what I had done. I tore down all those hypothetical alters,
and newspaper shrines. There is not one
article that I have kept in my 20+ years to look back on and say, "This is
what I did." Sure, I tell stories,
stories not about me but about God and what He has done.
Every day before shift on my way to work I
always pray "God you gave me these hands, you blessed me with the skills
and knowledge to do this job. Use me to
bring yourself Glory. Use me to reach
those in need, those who are hurting, those who are facing the most difficult day
of their lives to show them who you are.
May I be the proof and evidence of your love this day." God has blessed me and restored skills back
into my hands and knowledge back into my mind.
What I have now is a ministry, not a job.
 |
| This is me on the left on the right is Jesus my interpreter. In the middle is an 88 year old Nicaraguan man. God allowed me to care for him with the skills He blessed me with. When we done, He gave his life to the Lord. |
Romans 11:18
do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider
this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Job 1:21
and said: "Naked I came from my mother's
womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD
gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD
be praised."
May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!
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