Encouragement

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His Plan For You
© 2008

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Little did Navy Lieutenant Commander Elena Pena know, when she asked the Lord to use her, that He would put her to work performing fifteen very complicated surgeries on fifteen badly injured marines and sailors—all in the month of September. In addition to these surgeries, Commander Pena performed nearly three times that many complicated and routine surgeries on Iraqi citizens. Many of the Iraqis who Commander Pena performed surgery on had never seen a doctor and therefore their surgeries were especially difficult for her. In the opinion of both military and Iraqi civilians, Commander Pena was a bright, very competent and very loving medical doctor. She would love the babies, comfort the children, and be respectfully to every adult she would visit. If the operation didn’t go right, Commander Pena would comfort the family and friends, shed a tear, and pray to her Lord for strength and guidance for any future surgeries.

When she received this unusual number of patients, Commander Pena said to a friend, an associate physician, “I’m not complaining. It’s just that I’m not sure I’ll have the energy to do everyone justice. I’m so afraid I’ll make bad surgical mistakes if I keep this up.

While walking down a hallway following her most recent surgery, Commander Pena met another professional associate, Lieutenant Commander Robert Prieto, a psychiatrist. Commander Prieto spent many hours each week praying with and counseling troubled service members, mainly Christian, but also non-Christians. So Commander Pena asked him, “How on God’s green earth do you keep on top of all of it without going crazy? What’s your secret Commander?”

Commander Prieto told her, “I just keep reminding myself, several times a day that since the Lord gave me all of this work to do. He will see me through every bit of it.” Then Commander Prieto pulled a subdued Bible out of his pocket. He quickly turned the pages until he came to a passage in the Book of Job. “There’s a passage in Job that really helps me every time I think I’m going to be overwhelmed. It’s ‘He performs the thing that is appointed for me’. Each morning when I get up out of my bunk, and while I’m brushing my teeth, walking to this hospital especially; and as I counsel a service member, regarding of the Armed Service, I repeat those words, trusting Him, every second, every minute, every hour, to do His work, not my work, but His through me. And you know what He does!!! He’s never failed me! Not even once! Isn’t that remarkable!”

Within minutes of talking to Commander Prieto, Commander Pena received a call over the public address system to rush to another surgery. Following the surgery, Commander Pena went to comfort the service member then went to see the chaplain for one of the little subdued green covered Bibles to carry with her. She began using the affirmation from Job every day. She no longer felt unsure nor did she lack energy. She felt confident that the Lord would carry her through the work given her. And He did. Since Commander Pena took on her new found exercise, she has not fail nor did she feel as though she feel she had failed to do His work. Now Commander Pena, when she talks to her patients she takes out her Bible then tells them of God’s Plan for them. The feedback Commander Pena has received in 100% success—no failure from anyone!

God’s plan can help you to know—really know what it is you are to do. You will NOT have to find yourself. And He will help you to complete it from start to its completion!

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