It was Christmas Eve, a very special evening for me. This is an evening that I look forward to all year. I always plan to go to late night church services where everything is so beautifully decorated and everyone is so happy. While I enjoy the singing of carols and taking Communion, the magical time for me is walking out after church during those precious moments when the clock strikes twelve and Christmas Eve turns into Christmas morning. There is often light twinkling on new fallen snow and you say “Merry Christmas” to everyone you meet.
On this particular Christmas Eve there had been a scheduling error, and I had to work in the Trauma Unit. I went into work angry, resentful, and swearing under my breath. THIS WAS THE ONE NIGHT I WANTED OFF! I wanted time for myself and my family.
At about 11:15 pm my desk phone rang. It was a doctor from the ER. He had a patient for me, it was a trauma. It was a young woman that that had hit black ice and rolled her car. She sustained catastrophic injuries to her head and torso. The doctor giving me report said death was imminent. He also said no one had been able to locate her family. We had her drivers license so we knew her name and address. No one answered when the police went to her residence.
She came up to the unit at 11:30 pm. She had coolers of blood with her and multiple units infusing with pressure bags. We hung one right after another while reinforcing her wounds. While we worked I was struck with the thought that this young woman would die on Christmas Eve all alone. Perhaps hours from now her distraught family would begin looking for her when she didn’t show up for Christmas festivities. When I could, I pulled myself away and went to the desk phone. I found an old phonebook and started calling everyone with her last name,
“Hello this the hospital calling. This an emergency. Do you know anyone by the name of Mary Jones (not her real name)?” Call after call they all said they didn’t know her. Finally, on the last call on the long list they said they knew her and her family. They said they would make the calls immediately and I said, ”Tell her family to hurry.”
In those precious moments when the clock clicked to midnight and Christmas Eve turned
to Christmas morning Mary passed away and her family appeared at her bedside. It was a Christmas miracle of the saddest kind.
As I drove home exhausted mentally and physically, I knew in my heart why God had wanted me at work that night.
The lesson in this story is that God, or some force larger than ourselves, puts us where we need to be at just the right moment. Sometimes we know the meaning and impact of our presence and sometimes we don’t. Career's in service to others are full of purpose if you take a moment to look around you. Be grateful and humble as your story is being written.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
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