Passionate Love

“Eeeewwww…” exclaimed everyone in the Clinic as the Unit 15 nurse showed a note from a particular inmate he gave to her while she was giving him his medications.


“That’s creepy,” echoed one voice joining in the chorus of different tones, uttering their fear for her.


He definitely had mental issues. Giving him a kind of care appropriate for his special mental needs, which would be a normal task for a Unit 15 nurse to perform, turned out to be extra-ordinary for him the way he perceived it. He started falling in love and became obsessed with this particular nurse. He started calling her special names [like how you would call your special someone sweetheart, dear, honey, love, teddy bear, etc…]. Every time she would enter the metal door that led to that unit before she started her shift, he was able to peer through that small window of his from the side and would try everything from yelling out what he felt for her or would call out her name so that he would get her attention. Sometimes, he would sing her some songs.


And on that particular, unexpected moment, he slipped a crumpled note through a small slit on his segregated cell, as she was about to give his evening medications, while being escorted by their unit deputy.


The composed letter was full of passion, echoing the deepest desires of his unstable heart and mind. He sounded like he would really do anything to make her notice his love.


“Be careful when he gets released,” warned one of the co-workers to this nurse.


“If I were you, I’ll tell your husband because he may have the potential to be a danger for you and your family,” added the concerned co-worker.


Fear…that was the initial reaction stemming from that display of a passionate love.



Totally the opposite of a passionate love displayed from heaven. From a Father Who loved everyone, not wanting them to perish. His love song was a perfect melody! His plan to make His love known was flawless. Love that He showed by sending His own Son, Jesus…He wants our full attention, too…


A song that is “not of this world”….Open your ears…Open your eyes…Open your heart….Listen…Soak yourself up with this heavenly tune….Feel the Father’s passionate love expressed through His Son, for He is God of love….Just listen, trust and believe…

[Don't forget to click on "pause" with my playlist...]




John 3:16 ~ “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” [NIV]



1 John 4:7 -12 ~ “7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” [NIV]



Revelation 3:20 ~ “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” [NIV]

Choice

Wow…I couldn’t believe we had a quiet night this past weekend at work. It was just the usual paper works that we were accustomed to. Not too many sick calls. Then, the interruption…

“Good morning. Clinic. May I help you?,” asked our medical secretary. Her voice echoing in the waves of peace that blanketed that area.

“He is? Chest pain? Can your deputies bring him down here? Okay…Thanks…I’ll let the nurses here know,” as she ended the conversation with the deputy from one of the housing units.

Reviewing the chart, we found out that the inmate was still in his early 20’s, unlikely to have cardiac problems [except for congenital cases or other conditions precipitated by injuries]. There were no other recorded medical problems from the past since he was incarcerated.

One hour had passed and as I was readying myself to see the inmate, another call came in from that unit.

“No? What did you guys do that he is cured just like that? You guys are awesome!,” jokingly, the secretary uttered.

“Excuse me, nurse RCUBES. That inmate was told that it would cost him $3.00. All of a sudden, he told the deputies that he was okay and did not really need to go to the clinic.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know. I’m just here so if he changes his mind again, I’ll see him,” smilingly I replied.

Most of the inmates faking their conditions or not, get upset to find out that they need to shell out $3 from their accounts, as a cost for being seen and treated when they request a medical attention. Whether they have the money or not, their requests are never denied as some cases actually turn out to be to worth being assessed and treated.


Boy, aren’t we like that? Got hesitant when we heard that we have to shell out our worldly ways in exchange of a life given to be renewed by the Savior. But this treatment wouldn’t cost a thing. He paid for it all, in order for us to live a life of freedom. Freedom from sins. It cost Him his life so we can live.

Just like our Infirmary being opened 24/7 in that correctional facility, His offer of hope, eternal future, of physical and spiritual healing, of starting your slate clean and smudge-free from sins, is always available!

The only thing left is for you to make that choice whether you want to be renewed or not….Yes, it does seem that we are giving up a lot when we surrender everything to Jesus. But I guarantee, your life wouldn’t be the same as you accept His gift of grace. Because you will start walking on the only right path toward living a joyful life…..that no matter what you encounter in your life’s journey, He is always right beside you…

He desires a personal relationship with us….He is offering His love, forgiveness, grace, mercy in exchange of your worldly things that do not have value. So, what’s the state of your personal spiritual account? Full or bankrupt? You make a choice…Because doing so is also His gift…


Isaiah 55:1-13 [The Message]

Spiritual Sundays - I Will Wait For You

"Cancer is a word, not a sentence." ~ John Diamond

"The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart." ~ Nikolai Lenin

"Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death." ~ Unknown

"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains." ~ Anne Frank

"Hope never abandons you, you abandon it." ~ George Weinberg

"Every evening I turn my worries to God. He's going to be up all night long anyway." ~ Mary C. Crowley


I had composed this song on April 7, 2005, in memory of my sister-in-law's father who died from cancer. A year later, my own father was diagnosed with colon cancer and lived until December 2007. That was a difficult journey to walk on, but it was the Lord Who comforted my father, my siblings and myself. These 2 verses came to mind as I composed this song:

Philippians 4:19 ~ "You will meet all our needs according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 40:31~ "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint..."

I Will Wait For You

I feel my strength is gone day to day
My heart is broken and the pain never goes away
What I'm going through, others will not see
Deep inside, I know that I'll find my strength......in You

Chorus:

My hope is in You 'cause You're the One
You stay beside me when I'm all alone
You always mend this broken heart
Lord, I'll wait for You 'til You hold my hands

I'm not afraid whatever comes my way
In my heart, Your Spirit's here to stay
I will close my eyes now so I can pray
May Your will be done as I wait for You....everyday

[repeat Chorus...]

rcubes 4/07/05

Please visit Spiritual Sundays for other uplifting posts...This is a special place hosted by sisters Charlotte and Ginger where other bloggers for Jesus gather and you can even join in if you feel led to do so....God bless you all.

Look At Me

“Do you mind seeing this inmate complaining of side pain?”, asked the charge nurse.

“Not at all,” I replied.

A young male walked into the door, holding the back part of his right side, slightly limping and grimacing in obvious pain. Before I had the chance to start asking him, a per diem LVN walked up to the big window and started asking the inmate some questions, wanting to help me in a way.

“So what’s up? You’re so young to be hurting like this. What’s wrong with you?”

“I have a history of having kidney stones,” was the reply.

“You? Kidney stones? Who diagnosed you? So, you come here to jail to get the treatment, right?” continued my co-worker.

The inmate slightly raised his voice, in an obvious upset tone, “No! I don’t come here to be treated. I don’t even need any narcotic. But this hurts. You don’t understand.”

The LVN gave him a cup as I directed and I tested it for urinalysis. It was positive for blood. I took that opportunity to take over in seeing the inmate. I let him in and had him sit on a chair. But his anger was already erupting.

“You guys tell me that I’m lying or what? That I come here to get drugs for pain?,” he mumbled under his breath, his head bowed low.

I couldn’t blame him. For I was upset, too with what I just witnessed in that exchange of conversation. Upset at my co-worker.

“Sir, look at me…” I requested.

He continued to mumble with his angry rants.

“Sir, please look at me.” This time, he did and looked at me eye to eye.

“I can’t speak for everyone’s behavior here. But I want to apologize for whatever inappropriate behavior my co-worker had shown with you. I need you to listen to me. Because I do believe you’re in pain. I believe that you have kidney stones. And I want to help you to the best that I can.”

Pause…Sigh…Then, he uttered, “Thank you, Ma’am. For believing in me,” as he started wincing in pain.

“I am going to send you to the hospital because you do need to be examined there to see how bad the stones are. At least, they can also help you with your pain control. But I need you to just be patient during the whole process. We have to wait for the deputy to take you there.”

“I can wait, Ma’am. Thank you so much for your help.” He got up and went back to the waiting area.

I pulled my charge nurse away from her desk and talked with her privately. I told her I wanted to confront the LVN for that inappropriate behavior. But I believed it would help if she was the one to address the issue and warn not only him [the LVN], but also the rest of the staff. It was not our duty to judge the inmates. No matter how bad they were, it was our duty to help them with their medical problems and not be concerned with their social backgrounds. The other consequence was that inmates could retaliate by hurting staff if embarassed that way...She understood and immediately talked with the LVN.

After many hours, the inmate returned, smiling now and more trusting. He thanked me. I looked at the discharge paperworks that came from the hospital. The diagnosis was kidney stones. They had to give him something strong for pain and wanted him to be followed up in a few days.



I don’t know about you for whatever circumstances you have gone through that you distanced yourself from God. I don’t know what life has thrown at you that you think God doesn’t care. He doesn’t listen. He is too far away. He doesn’t love you….But friends, feeling that way is dangerous. Because we cannot measure God with human kind of standards. The truth is…God loves us all. He is always listening and He is always ever near.

Is it right to be angry at God? The answer is “no”…That is being proud for sinful creatures to disapprove of what God allows and does.

Yes, it’s okay to express your anger to God but it’s wrong to stay angry…He is waiting for you to “look at Him”. He wants a relationship with you. When you hold a grudge against Him, the more the distance between you and God widens. Guess who’ll suffer in the end?