The nurse …

I felt rough, and I had just gotten up from a night of sleep.

That was several years ago when I lived in the San Francisco Bay area.

It was early, and I was trying to assess what was going on. A cough brought to light the key symptom … my throat was swelling shut!

This had happened to me only once. A few years before I had served as Director of a high school camp and had a situation where, for some odd reason, my throat was swelling shut. The RN who served as camp nurse sent me packing into town to see a physician, for fear she would have to cut into my throat to keep me breathing! It wasn’t anything big, the doctor gave me some meds and the problem resolved itself.

Well, the problem seemed to be back and I thought I had better not take any unnecessary risks, so I headed out to the emergency room at the nearby hospital. It was early in the morning, too early to see a physician or go to a clinic. And too early to call a family member or friend to let them know I was now sitting in the ER waiting room.

Fortunately, due to the early hour, I was seen quickly. There I was, in a paper gown, on a guerny, waiting for a physician to make a diagnosis. The doctor wanted me to have an IV of meds, which he thought would quickly resolve the issue.

No problem.

At least so I thought.

For some reason, when the nurse inserted the needle for the IV, I had a rather severe vegal reaction, which sent my head spinning, causing me to nearly pass out. It also sent my heart rate plummeting. So much so the nurse immediately called for the doctors, two of whom came racing to my bedside. They stood by the bed looking worriedly at the heart monitor. During the busyness around the bed, and my questions to the doctors about what was going on, the nurse left her duties, walked over to the bed and simply held my hand.

I was there alone, without family or friends. I had two doctors almost panicking about my falling heart rate, but in the middle of this the nurse did the most caring, kind thing another human could do: she held my hand.

I have to tell you, that brought me comfort. Unlike the doctors, I had not panicked but was about at a stage of contemplating such a reaction right before the nurse took my hand. Her holding my hand was another human being offering comfort in an uncomfortable moment, and it helped me remain peaceful.

In fact, one of the physicians turned to the nurse and told her to administer some type of second IV. Upon hearing this, I very calmly proffered to the physician, “Doc, I think it was a reaction to the first IV that caused this.” I was a little concerned what a second IV at that moment might do! The doctor somewhat nervously replied, “Alright … well, we’ll watch the numbers and if they stablize then we won’t do the other IV.” Fortunately, my heart rate quickly stabilized and the second IV wasn’t administered.

That was a weird experience! Who would have thought something so simple could have been momentarily life threatening? But the incredible part of the morning?

The nurse held my hand!

In the middle of what could have been a scary moment, a genuine display of kindness and gentleness helped me remain peaceful when I really needed to be.

That experience is how life often is. Sometimes, “out of the blue,” we can face rather harrowing circumstances we didn’t anticipate and aren’t prepared for. But the simplest expression of genuine caring and being there for someone for just a moment can make a profound difference.

Sometimes a gentle touch, a quiet expression of concern, a simple presence can bring peace to someone in a moment of need if we’re paying attention to the needs of others around us.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply hold someone’s hand for a moment, be there to give them peace for the challenge at hand, and then everything will be alright.

Colossians 3:12, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Philemon 1:7, “Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.”

Matthew 10:42, “And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”

Scotty