I worked Clinic again today, and since I worked Swing shift last night, protocol allows for us to arrive at the 9am start time instead of the 7:45am devotional/prep time. Since my week has been crazy busy, I decided to arrive at 9am.
However, prenatal beds are slim for the picking by then, and this morning, they just happened to either have scheduled one too many people or overlooked the fact that the 1st years might be doing their own prenatals by this time... Anyway, whichever way it was, I was told to use the Gramstain room for my checkups.
At first it was a bother, because the Gramstain Room is across the hall in the Prenatal Waiting Room, which means that to get a patient, I had to wade through the roomful of patients, go across the hall to the Prenatal room, grab a chart
and a patient, and bring them both back through the waiting room to my little area.
Shortly though, I realized how much of a blessing it was, because after they got over the initial nervousness of being in "The Gramstain Room", the patients seemed to open up more....which makes sense, because normal prenatals are conducted in the same curtained off area, and often all we have time for is checking vitals, answering questions, instructing patients, referring life threats, and praying for them..then it's on to the next patient. Much different than general midwifery in the US.
Anyway, 3 patients really opened up to me, but with one specifically, we seemed to really connect: Her name was Salvacion. I noticed she had quite a few tattoos, and curiously asked what they were, and what they meant to her. On her calf, she had "Skulls of Fire" with a "Fetus (baby)" right next to it, and on her arm, was the word "Emancipation".
I found she likes research, and she gave me a great recipe for kabote leaf tea (iron-rich). While doing vitals and writing notes, the (God-prompted) thought suddenly came to mind that this might be an opportunity to help lead her to Christ. So, I asked her what her religion was, and she promptly answered "Atheist". Now, I have worked with a lot of Filipinas, but none have so specifically answered as an Atheist--most are Catholic, Christian, Muslim or with a cult, so this really shocked me!!
Okay, this might surprise you, but--I have never shared the Gospel with anyone before. Now before you judge, let me explain: I have always been the encourager--I naturally tend to come alongside others and encourage them in the path of Godliness, which often includes sharing parts or all of my testimony too, but actually laying out why Jesus came to die for us, and seeing people come to Christ?? Well, the need has never arisen. My little sister is the one naturally gifted in Evangelism--she was always there to lead my siblings and others to Christ, and so I have never had the need or opportunity to.... (Maybe that is part of the reason I so want to be like her.....)
Anyway, this was a bit of a new ground for me...sure, it's simple (maybe??), but it's a weighty and sacred thing to share the Gospel, and it's sacred: you can mess up badly, if you're not witnessing in the Spirit. So, with fear and trembling, and much prayer, I continued to seek her out.
Prayerfully, I asked her to expound on what that means to her, and her beliefs, and found that she believes in a 'higher power' who created the world and we can talk with, but is Spirit only (and didn't come to earth). However, when I dug deeper, I found that her biggest struggles were:
1) All the main religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Catholics, Christians, Mormons, etc) have similar Gods.
2) There were many men who came before Jesus Christ who said they were 'the Christ', so what makes Him so special??
Interestingly, she was raised by extremely devout Catholic grandparents, thus her name. Really truly, she is searching for answers---similar to me, those years ago. She is in that stage that I think all people have to go through--the transition stage, where you have to take what you were taught (or not taught), sift through it (come before God prayerfully), and eventually own it (or disown it) as your own.
Her situation so reminded me of myself...
Praise God, He was able to use me to lay out the Gospel, expound and encourage her in the Truth, and give her resources to help her seek out the Truth herself. I believe for her, the Key is the middle passages of Isaiah, where it clearly shows how Christ fulfilled all the prophecies of His arrival, and how no other man can do that.
She knows her Bible/history some, and was very open and interested, and is very much seeking the Truth. Please pray for her, that God will grip her heart, and reveal Himself to her!!! I gave her my contact information, and I pray that she will contact me if it would help her in her search.
I have to add that afterwards, I was at a Spiritual high--there is nothing like witnessing!! Much more than delivering babies....or working in the Emergency Field...and to combine the two?? Incredible!!!
I praise God for who He is. I just pray that it was an encouragement.
Thank you all for your prayers!!!!
If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of Me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of Me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have a greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent me.
And the Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His abiding in you: for Whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.
~ John 5:31-39 ~
