How often we have heard the bitter cry of a suffering man or woman, "Lord, take away pain." And how often we have longed for the power to take away pain. The following poem was found on the wall of a Denver hospital:
"Lord, Take Away Pain
"The cry of man's anguish went up unto God:
'Lord, take away pain— '
The shadow that darkens the world Thou hast made ;
The close-coiling chain
That strangles the heart; the burden that weighs
On the wings that would soar—
Lord, take away pain from the world Thou hast made,
That it love Thee the more!'
"Then answered the Lord to the cry of the world :
'Shall I take away pain,
And with it the power of the soul to endure,
Made strong by the strain?
Shall I take away pity, that knits heart to heart,
And sacrifice high?
Will ye lose all your heroes that lift from the fire
White brows to the sky ?
Shall I take away love that redeems with a price
And smiles at its loss?
Can ye spare from your lives that would climb unto Mine,
The Christ on His cross?' "
Let us think a moment of the twofold purpose of pain. First, it is one of the greatest mediums for character development, and second, it provides the greatest occasion for service. Man is no more worthy to escape pain than was his Master, who was made perfect through suffering. And do not those who minister to the sick need to develop those priceless qualities of tenderness and sympathy which come from seeing another suffer ? What mounting pride and uncontrollable selfishness we would have in the world if it were not for the humbling and melting influences of pain. Was there ever a time when the world was so filled with pain and woe, or ever offered so great an occasion for tender ministry ?
Class of 1943, as you take up the duties for which you have been trained, you face a broken and bleeding world. While you are trained particularly to wait upon suffering bodies, let me emphasize your call to a higher and more lasting work than that—your call to a spiritual service. Some of you may think that the professional care of the ailing body is that for which you should employ your powers ; yet you have been taught, no doubt, that the most difficult wound to heal is that of the mind and heart. If you can help to quiet the troubled mind and calm the fearful heart, the body which you attend may more quickly recover. We quote the following from the Religious Digest:
"A striking testimony to the importance of religion as a medium of healing was given in London, England, a few years ago. Di. Martin Lloyd Jones, a Harley Street specialist in diseases of the heart, gave up his medical work to become a Christian minister. One day he suggested to Lord Horder that they go through the files of all the cases they had dealt with in recent years, separating those cases who were suffering with organic diseases from those who were sick of functional disorders. It was found that only 25 per cent of the patients had organic diseases and 75 per cent were of the functional type. Doctor Jones asked Lord Horder what he thought medicine would do for that 75 per cent, and the great physician replied, 'Little or nothing. What they need most of all is religion.' "
Thus the spiritual service which you may render is of great importance, and it may be the only means for the recovery of the one to whom you are ministering.
The great Supervisor has said, "I know thy works and charity and service." Yes, the One who weighs the acts of men knows that those unrewarded services which are prompted by sympathy and love, those extra attentions which very often turn the battle against pain and suffering in favor of recovery, far outweigh in heaven's scales the performance of the routine duties that must be rendered in attendance upon the sick.
The cheerful, heartwarming word, the gentle, sympathetic touch, the friendly, unhurried approach, the confident and hopeful attitude, the sincere and earnest interest, that which cannot be recorded on the patient's chart—these are the services of the spirit that must not be forgotten if you would write your name on memory's wall. Then it will be that not only God will remember your work and charity and service, but many a man and woman will remember it as well.
Today, if ever, the world is calling for a nursing service that touches the spirit and soul of man, for as never before men are distraught in mind and bewildered in heart.
Upon your graduation you may seek greater efficiency through further study. You may desire to rise to the highest peaks of your profession. Let me call your attention to one way that leads to the heights. Said the psalmist, "Thy gentleness hath made me great." Here is emphasized a spiritual quality that is above professionalism.
That efficiency which creates a chilling atmosphere while duties are being perfectly performed and which leaves a patient, feeling cold and remote, might better be spared. A sweet and tender nurse, with her smile and sympathetic attention, though not so learned, doubtless ministers with greater power. The first may carry out the doctor's orders to the very letter and leave the patient feeling very ill, while the other, sensing the need of adding personal interest to a doctor's orders, will refresh a troubled heart with the same medicine.
That quality that makes a true nurse and causes her memory to linger long in the mind of a man or woman is not the perfection of her technique, or the professional air that surrounds her when she enters the room, or the thorough but mechanical way she gives a treatment. But it is that quality of the spirit which causes the body to relax when she is near, and the mind and heart to unconsciously find rest under her attentions. It is that spirit which urges her on to the second mile after she has done her duty, that extra aid that she renders of her own volition, because her heart is gentle and her spirit tender.
Where Are Such Qualities Found?
You well may ask, "Where are such worthy qualities to be found ? Is there some course of study we may take, some graduate school we may attend, to acquire these qualities of heart and soul that find a sympathetic response in the heart and soul of another ?"
No, you will not be able to acquire them in any school of the land. You will find them only in the realm of the spirit; you will acquire them only in that school in which the Holy Spirit is the teacher. Or we might say you must become a tree planted and nourished by the Holy Spirit in order that you may bear those fruits of the Spirit that are basic in such a spiritual service as we have been emphasizing.
The fruits of the Spirit, those qualities of life that are so necessary if you would fulfill the mission for which you have been trained and for which the world is calling, are these: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Here are nine basic qualities of character that will multiply a thousand fold the effectiveness of a nurse's service. Not your acts, but your attitudes will be what will make you great in your profession. Not what you do, but what you are, is of the greatest importance. Let us briefly consider each of the fruits of the Spirit.
Love. This is that quality which is fundaMental to all service and without which no service is complete. You must put love in your work—that unselfish love which causes you to want to help anyone in great need and makes you thankful that you have the means to do so.
"Love took up the harp of life and smote on all the chords with might,
Smote the chord of self, that, trembling pass'd in music out of sight."
Joy and Peace. "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" is an oft-quoted text. Not that shallow merriment that bubbles on the surface while the heart is dark with sin, but that peace and joy which comes from a consciousness of being right with both God and man. Such joy is not dependent on the vicissitudes and changes of life, but can surmount all criticism and trial, injustice and misunderstanding.
Said the prophet, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee : because he trusteth in Thee." Here is revealed the only true and constant source of that peace of heart which will cause you to radiate a pleasant and joyful spirit and help you to beat back those waves of pain and suffering that often well-nigh overwhelm the one to whom you are ministering. May it be said of you, "Her ways are the ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Prov. 3:17.
Long-Suffering. You may well pray for this quality, as you daily enter the sick room. Your body will often be weary and your soul tried as you attend those who suffer, but seek above all things to be patient, compassionate, and considerate.
Gentleness and Goodness. A great man once exclaimed, "Gentleness, more powerful than Hercules !" When Paul found it necessary to write an epistle of rebuke to the Corinthian church, he opened one forceful passage by saying, "I . . . beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ." Of Christ it had been said, "A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench. The messenger of the Lord has said:
"True gentleness is a gem of great value in the sight of God. A meek and quiet spirit will not be ever looking out for happiness for itself, but will seek for self-forgetfulness, and find sweet content and true satisfaction in making others happy."—"Testimonies," Vol. HI, p. 536.
In these days when men's and women's faces, as well as hearts, are hard, and they boast about it, you should study to be gentle and tender and kind. Only thus can you refresh the spirit and soul of those whom you attend and render a spiritual service that will help to restore the mind as well as the body. These qualities are rooted in goodness, which is not that "holier-than-thou attitude" which more often aggravates than inspires, but that genuine wholehearted helpfulness which is forgetful of self. Only such a one can be a comforter of the highest order.
"Ask God to give thee skill
In comfort's art,
That thou may'st consecrated be
And set apart
Unto a life of sympathy:
For heavy is the weight of ill
In every heart,
And comforters are needed much
Of Christlike touch."
Faith. Faith is another quality that is very necessary to the nurse. It is essential to the spirit of confidence that must ever prevail in the sickroom. That faith which is rooted in the mercies of God and a consciousness of His abiding presence and continual aid is a far greater basis for confidence than mere professional skill.
Meekness. This is the doorway into the heart of a troubled soul. Who ever heard of one seeking out the proud for comfort "and aid ? If you wish to be unloved, one from whom the ill will turn, then be proud and haughty and unwilling to stoop to do some lowly service. "Blessed are the meek," said Christ, "for they shall inherit the earth." Yes, inherit a world of friendships, a world in which there will be many who will call you blessed.
Now we begin to see what is meant by the words of the psalmist, "Thy gentleness bath made me great." Yes, these qualities of the Spirit, and these alone, will make you truly great.
Temperance. Today many are seeking the services of the nurse who has a broad vision of her work, one who aims to make use of spiritual means as well as professional skill. Do not forget the quality of temperance. Moderation in all things and self-control are absolutely necessary to the one who would perform an efficient and complete service for afflicted men.
Many disheartened and hopeless men and women may come within the circle of your ministry. Some special service, fresh with life and hope, that you may render, may be the occasion that will inspire a weary sufferer to summon his courage and press forward to the goal of health and happiness. Again we read from the inspired pen :
"God has placed you in a world of suffering to prove 'you, to see if you will be found worthy of the gift of eternal life. There are those all around you who have woes, who need words of sympathy, love, and tenderness, and our humble, pitying prayers. Some are suffering under the iron hand of poverty, some with disease, and others with heartaches, despondency, and gloom. Like Job, you should be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame."—"Testimonies," Vol. III, . 530.
Class of '43, everywhere there are men and women who are longing for the help of one who is tender and kind, whose touch is gentle, whose countenance is serene, and whose heart is pure. Only those in whose life are manifested the fruits of the Spirit can fulfill the mission in life to which they are called by the crying need of humanity and the high purpose of God. Are you willing to consecrate your life to such a glorious service ? What is your response?
