Encouragement

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Mystery Nurse
© 2011

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Captain Rocky Beeson lay in a hospital bed angry, anxious and concerned. Doctors has visited him only 20 minutes earlier to inform him that they would have to perform corrective surgery on his right arm. “How embarrassing,” he thought. “How could a fall do so much damage? How am I going to tell my wife, Cassie, that I got injured tripping over a dumb chair? Wait till my kids get older then ask me ‘what did you do during the war in Iraq” …and I tell ‘em I tripped and fell over a chair then broke my arm. Boy, what a story!”

As he sat up in his bed awaiting surgery, concern for his unit ran across his mind. “Who is going to manage the operation of the Company? Lieutenant Cassell? Oh, yes! Lieutenant Ayo Cassell is a competent, reliable officer. I shouldn’t have to be concerned about her being able to manage the Company! But I do! Why am I like this?”

At 3:00 AM Captain Beeson was roused by a nurse checking his temperature and blood pressure. Unable to get back to sleep again, he wanted so much to get out of bed but his arm was held in traction. That was out. Watching television was an idea but there was no television in this hospital in nowhere Iraq. So that was out as well. So Captain Beeson lay in bed with racing thoughts. One, two, three hours passed before the nurse visited to go through her nursing routine once more.

“Ready for surgery, Captain?”

“I guess,” he said unenthusiastically.

“Hey, look who’s in the area? It’s Father Jesus!” she said.

“Father Jesus? What! Who?”

“Oh, he’s the chaplain. Look at him. If you put a beard on him and imagine his hair down to his shoulders, wouldn’t you say he looks like Jesus? Just look at him! Doesn’t he look like one of those pictures you’ve seen of Jesus?

Captain Beeson looked at the chaplain and laughed for the first time in nearly three days. “Say nurse, you’re right! He does display some resemblances! Well, I’ll be!!!”

Captain Beeson and the nurse talked for about 30 minutes or so. She informed the injured Captain that she and the chaplain had been working for about 30 hours straight without a break and without sleep.

“Why aren’t you crabby and miserable? I’d be if I had to work that long without a break.”

“Well, Captain, our work is a labor of love and concern for our fellow human beings. Just like Jesus. I read in the Bible where Jesus was tired and exhausted more than once. But he understood that there was worked to be done and souls to save. He could just lie back when there was work to be done. We’ll get our time off. But now, we have work to do.”

“How come you know so much about the chaplain?’

“Well, he’s my husband. I work to help soldiers, in this instance, which has injuries and pain and the chaplain work on their spirits and souls.”

“I have so much on my mind, nurse. I am concerned about myself, the welfare of my unit and the welfare of my family.”

“Well, Captain put your worries and concerns into God’s hands. He’ll take care of everything. Captain, the doctor is here. I’ll go find him and get you schedule for surgery to take care of this injury. If I’m not able to get back, I’ll pray for you in my prayers. Know also that God will take care of you. Okay?” Then she said aloud. “May God bless you, be with you and grant you peace.”

From that moment, Captain Beeson had a different mood. Although he said he was a Christian, he never discussed his faith with anyone nor did he pray aloud with anyone outside of church. If he prayed at all, it was alone in the darkness of his tent. But that nurse talked about God, her faith, her chaplain husband without shame and without being overwhelming. She did it all in 30 minutes or less.

Captain Beeson learned a great deal from the casual, cheery approach of the nurse. He never saw the nurse again. But from her he learned to focus on the needs and concerns of others—just like Jesus.

Captain Beeson’s surgery proved successful. Second Lieutenant Cassell was promoted to First Lieutenant and given the command of the company. During Captain Beeson’s two month absence, Lieutenant Cassell performed an excellent job as acting commander. Captain Beeson’s wife and children were very happy to learn that their husband and father were alive, healthy and well. Never mind the injury or how it happened.

Enroute back to the United States, Captain Beeson learned of his promotion to Major with a new staff assignment at Battalion level. Everything, now Major Beeson realized, worked out for good. What he learned is that when he is feeling sorry for himself, he recalled the sacrifice of the mystery nurse and the even greater sacrifice of Jesus Himself.

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