The Dry Leaf

Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff? – Job 13:25 (NIV)

I slowly stretched my aching back as I swept more dried fig leaves I patiently detached, one by one, from the thin and bigger branches of the fig tree. Careful that my footing would be secure on our slope yesterday. Daily, I had been sweeping a few here and there. So, I thought of making my task easier by removing the other dry leaves that had not been blown off by the wind yet nor just broke off on its own. I nearly filled the bin meant to contain branches or yard clippings.

The fig tree looked a lot better as greener, remaining leaves remained. The yellow, decayed leaves gone from its still healthy tree. Battered by the chillier winter winds and sometimes, a hotter sun, those leaves withered away from the extreme, constantly changing weather. My husband and I enjoyed a few of its fruits this past summer. A lot lesser than what it previously produced. Still…The fruits were sweet.

My attention was interrupted with an in-coming text from a dear friend. She injured her foot and for four months had to be away from work. Except…that text came from the hospital where she worked. She was placed back to try and see how she would do as she still continued to recover from her injury. She had gone through so many trials. As a witness, I was grateful that God had given me the means to be able to help her in any way I could. I knew she wanted to give up many times. What words could one give if the burden was not on one’s own shoulders? 

“Why does one thing after another keeps happening? I don’t understand, Rcubes,” she lamented one time as she laid on the hospital bed awaiting surgery and as I sat by the bedside. 

I knew her heart. She had a good heart. Full of kindness and love to those around her. But it seemed like waves of unexpected trial kept hitting her and kept coming. Threatening the sands of her faith in God to be washed away as those forceful waves came. 

I couldn’t answer her. I just told her what Jesus said. That we would face many trials and would have sorrows in this place or world. But at the same time, He wanted us to pay attention to the peace He could give. That could guard our hearts and minds. Because He had overcome the world. He didn’t want us to worry. For worrying would not add another day into our lives.

I knew I had to remove those dry, some rotting leaves from the fig tree before the wind knocked each off from its fragile branches, already battling the cold November winds.  I knew my friend felt like that dry leaf that had fallen to ground and still was being crushed by the forceful winds of trials. But God also taught me through His Word to be careful not to judge someone. 

Because someone who is going through tough times doesn’t mean that he or she is a bad person. 

Nor a prosperous person is someone who has a good heart and knows God. 

However, a sinner is like that dry leaf, being chased by the wind. Its forceful blow bringing to mind its own fragile state. God does the same… Sometimes, He makes us remember our past sins not to hurt us but most of all, to bring us to repentance. Because to know Jesus is to find peace among life’s turmoil. To discover and have life and revival of its dead condition.

"Just sore, achy..." another text came in from my friend...

My heart understood hers as I also had a history of neck injury from the past. But joy flooded my heart as I pondered:

Belief and faith in Jesus will make one overcome any trials...I knew I felt a smile appeared on my face as I stared at the greener fig tree and as I realized....

My friend would overcome....She already did...Trial after trial...She remained a victor...Despite the waves of doubts, she chose to believe... 

"Take care..." I texted back.

The Light

Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" Let your face smile on us, LORD. – Psalm 4:6 (NLT)

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. – Psalm 18:28 (NIV)

The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. – Psalm 119:130 (NLT)

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. – Isaiah 42:16 (NIV)

The other nurse rushed past me, carrying a kit that contained everything to start an IV. As I concentrated on increasing my pace to go to the prison’s Intake and was about to help the Intake Nurse getting swamped with arrestees who arrived from many streets in the county. She requested if I could just check and write on the logs and made sure all the suicidal inmates and those that were intoxicated were all doing well.

The noises were deafening as one drunk kept yelling profanities at the deputies. Busy shoving bodies to a particular cell to be processed, no one had time to pay attention not unless he would start hurting himself or others sharing the tiny cell with him.

I saw different shapes of humans wrapped in the grayish Velcro-strapped gowns. Some asleep. On their right side. On their left. On back or stomach. Whatever was comfortable, they did to try to get some rest they were craving for. A few of them talking as they sat on the wooden bench and slowly hushed as I came near the huge glass window. They acknowledged when I called their names. Surprising that no one had intimidated me. Most were cooperative and appeared calm.

I saw him. All alone in the adjoining cold cell. Pacing back and forth, his dirty feet approached me as he saw me charting something on the piece of paper that belonged to him. He was studying me. I could feel that kind of stare. A little surprised when I looked up all of a sudden and asked him how he was doing.

“Ok…I guess…What time is it?” he asked.

Raising my left arm with the wrist watch on it so I won’t lose some of my vision of him, I replied, “Almost 5:00.”

“It’s hard to tell. There’s no light,” he quickly answered, a huge smile occurred and exposed his white, pearly gems. I saw the tiny cell’s light on the ceiling shone on his head. It illuminated his weary face. But I could see he was also a handsome man. A good-looking guy on the outside yet tormented by stormy thoughts inside. 

“It is huh, Mr. K. But you know what? I can say you have been patient waiting for the doctor. When the light comes outside, a few more hours and he will be here to check on you. Okay?”

“Thank you, Nurse,” I audibly heard as I made a u-turn and went back to the Nurse’s clinic to chart on all of their paper works.

Back in my mind, something was revealed from that encounter. 

That darkness never lasts. The light is always there shining and waiting for its chance to have a breakthrough. 

The light that always waits for any heart that would see its brilliance. A heart that is willing to accept and embrace it.

Aaron Shust- God of Brilliant Lights (Acoustic Performance) from centricitymusic on GodTube.

Asleep Or Ready?

Every second was becoming intense for every Nursing staff ready to assist each other. As I stood close to the Supervisor who was becoming more upset every second that had gone by. In front of us, a pregnant inmate was crying in pain, turned to the left side as we already started the Oxygen to boost her air supply in her lungs that went through those 2 prongs inside her nostrils. The IV had been slowly dripping, drop after drop of Normal Saline to hydrate her. Still…No sign of any paramedics. The Supervisor had called for “Code 3”. The highest radio call which meant the situation was of top priority and emergent in nature. 

“Awww! I want to push!” the lady’s wail interrupted our soft, frustrated conversation.

“Nurse R., please direct me what to do if the baby comes out. I was an Orthopedic Nurse, not an OB nurse,” I reminded the Supervisor, ready to lead the impending birth of a “son”, the inmate’s 7^th pregnancy. 

The supervisor knew, the baby could come out any minute, as we smelled a strong smell of lochia slowly filling the entire exam room.

Trying to interrupt the inmate’s urge to push, I tried talking to her. As the other nurse softly whispered to her right ear that she was doing a great job of trying to relax, as the nurse’s right gloved hand massaged the inmate’s lower back.

“You’re gonna’ have a son?” I asked.

“You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to…but I’m just wondering, do you have a name for him ready?” I continued.

Without a pause, she smiled and replied, “Malachi”.

“Beautiful! Was that from the Bible,” I probed.

“Hmmm….I just liked the name when I heard it so I chose it,” she uttered, in between her struggling breaths, trying not to push.

“They’re gonna’ be here soon. So hang in there, okay?” everyone coaxed.

Still…Few more minutes had gone by…No sign of firemen nor paramedics.

The supervisor had called again the number to the jail’s Bridge. To get an update of what was going on for the delayed arrival of emergency crew. We heard over the radio, some of them went to another prison, instead of coming to ours.

The supervisor complained to the ambulance service. She said it wasn’t right because we were not equipped with more medical supplies and our facility just didn’t have any hospital sort of equipment. 

Finally, as she hang up the phone, 2 paramedics showed up, dressed in blue uniforms. Not saying much. Perhaps, they knew they were in trouble. As we praised the pregnant inmate with her patience and trying to be strong, they immediately wheeled her out and we heard she was brought to the nearest hospital. Not even to our county hospital as her baby’s arrival was more imminent at that time.

The buzzer rang on the female side of the Infirmary. As the deputy popped the heavy metal door open, along came 3 firemen asking where the pregnant female was. But it was too late. She had left. After their failed response, one scratched his head and I could feel the rest’s embarrassment. They knew…They were a failure at that moment. Maybe they were tired. Some still looked so sleepy. But it was no excuse if one’s job was to respond to emergency. Because it could be a matter of life or death.

When Jesus returns, His imminent arrival will be a surprise! May we never be found asleep and instead, always ready for His return!


Rapture - End Times from tumeg on GodTube.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. – Matthew 24:44 (NIV)

No Room For Fear

Photo Credit

The throng of men started piling up on the cold, concrete bench behind the huge, heavy metal, sliding door that barred the outside yard of the prison. One by one, some of them came in, cuffed together with a chain link. As I got my report from the scheduled Intake Nurse last Saturday night, I knew, those men came from one of the county’s precincts.

“Aww….I feel bad now, Rcubes,” uttered by the Intake Nurse. Feeling ill the previous night, I had told her I would work at Intake when I returned that night to make her go back to the Clinic. All of us knew it was always busy at Intake even on the weekends. Not like at the Clinic. It always eased up on weekends since there was no court.

“Don’t be…I’ve been here for a while but that was many years ago…It’s only a matter of getting familiar again…” Noticing the extended area outside the small clinic that has better barrier for nurses now than back then when I used to work and had immediate exposure to the arrestees. Not great as some could become combative without any warning.

The line slowly disappeared. As I switched between the male and female side of Intake. Screening those who had medical or mental health issues. Clearing them to be booked if I didn’t discover anything alarming regarding their health.

Not including the phone calls that came from different small jails of the precincts. Asking if it was okay for them to keep a particular inmate until they would have the necessary staff to transfer them to our main prison. Some of them would get upset if I went against their wishes. Understanding the hundredths of miles between some prisons, still…The incarcerated person’s health came first.

“Do you want anything from ODR?” asked one co-worker. Finding out last minute that I would be working at Intake. Volunteering to offer me food from the prison’s staff’s dining area. But I always brought my own food. Even if I was scheduled at the Clinic. The Intake Nurse I relieved came back twice to check the suicidal inmates for me. That helped a lot as I continued to screen the constant flow of arrestees.

Though it looked so busy, I knew it wasn’t at all. It was nothing compared to some nights. And my co-workers saw the calmness and steady busy. Not like the nights they had when they work down at Intake.

“My gosh! It’s not busy!” the sick nurse exclaimed.

“Because…I have a secret…” I firmly stated.

“What?” she asked in a probing way.

“I always pray before I go to work. I talk to God because I know He knows everything even before they happen. I trust that. And even if it’s busy, I know it will not be something beyond what I’m not capable of.”

“Thank you, Lord, “ I softly uttered in praise behind my head.

“I used to do that…”she quickly exchanged.

“I asked for a good night at the hospital where I work and I ended up having a bad night.”

“Maybe He wanted you to learn something from that busyness,” I replied.

“That’s true. Because somehow, I made it through…” a few, dry coughs mixed as she uttered.

As the huge door remained silent, I knew that was the time in the morning when the dawn was breaking. I knew there would be no more bodies to come except once in a while. Not a throng. As the sun came out and lit up the whole, huge Intake yard. There were no more police cruisers parked except our own Sheriff’s vehicles and buses. The desk I was working on became clear. I got done with all the charts I had to open for everyone I screened that had medical or mental health issues. I knew I conquered my fear. Not with my own strength but by His grace. There was no room at all to fear knowing that by trusting Him, He would always be there for me. And for those who believe and trust in Him.

After all, He calls me to get out of my comfort zone. Busy or no busy. I am called to partake in His suffering. So that in my weakness, people will see the strength He gives me. And through that, people can see the glory.

Not mine. But Jesus’….

Thank You Lord for always being there for me. 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. – Romans 8:18 (ESV)

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ... – 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 (ESV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. – Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)