God has no favourites, but maybe we can change the odds

I have often heard lamented by a relative of how the person who has the life threatening illness lived a good life. Be it through the absence of drugs, healthy lifestyle, the goodness be it within a family or community which they contributed. To be honest it disturbes me; I often feel the distress.

It is obvious that God does not have favourites. That there is a ramdomness of whom God takes before their time. He does not have favourites even those who regularly acknowledge and worship Him no matter how ferverent. I'm often reminded of Forest Gump's line "life is like a box of chocolates", there is a randomness in death; which at times I think we can change the odds.

It would appear that lifestyle can change the odds. Moderation with alcohol, eating healthily, positive relationships within and outside the family. I would also write a centeredness which is often found in Church or wherever people slow down and have time to contemplate. The thing though even with these positives in a persons life it dosn't guarente anything. It just lowers the odds.

There is a quote going around at the moment by a Sioux Indian Vine Deloria::

"Religion is for people who are afraid of going to Hell

Spirituality is for those who have already been there"

I like it; there is an idea for me that Heaven has already been touched, it has been experienced. That there is no more fear to be had through death. Its not about somthing unknown on the other side. It is somthing about life, beauty, joy.....

This I would think is the biggest way in which we can change the odds.

 

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Tom Keneally, The Daughters of Mars

 

Tom Keneally, The Daughters of Mars.

I don't read Tom Keneally lightly. Having read Schindlers Ark and been scared forever. Yes another novel on the horrors and stupidity of war.

The Daughters of Mars is based on the experiences of two Australian sisters who are nurses who follow the Australian troops; as they wage war in the Mediterranean and France.

As a nurse and an Australian I found many connecting stories to my story. A nurse, put under pressure and the distress at times it can cause. But what the nurses in the story and during that period went through was incrediably traumatic. The wounds of World War One, the maming through bullets, shrapnel and shells. Yet worst of all gass. Which attacked the centeral nervous system and lungs in a horrific maner. Somthing which I would never want to go through.

The stories of nurses coming from 'Bush nursing homes in Gipsland' amused me. Phillip Island's hospital as mentioned to me by many of the older locals was a 'Bush Nursing home' Now unfortunatley there is nothing.

The name 'Monash' which I am likely to phone as our client is an inpatient; or drive along; or the education institution. But to think of the reason behind the name Monash the general; It never occurs to me. Though I always knew he was a famous guy, I never realized the idolision of him at the time of ordinary Australians.

One theme that interested me was a Character called "Kierman". A Quaker or as they said at the time time "Family of Friends". He as an orderly the closest you would get to a male nurse during that period.

What interested me about him was his faith, or his acknowledgment of where he was at in a holistic way, from the horrors of war around him and how he interacted to it. Naomi one of the sisters and Kiermans fiancé had this to say about her experience :

"...or was it a genuine spiritual instinct of her own which made her feel that she could inhabit this silence? Other religions began with certainties and pronounced them from the start of their rituals. The Friends seemed to have no certainties and humbly waited for the voice to emerge. These people did not seem to anticipate or even feel sure that anything would grace them with a visit. That attracted her. She had never been in an uncertain Church before."

I write rather enviously of Naomi's experience!

It's a good book, one worth reading if you like Australian History or Australian Nursing history. His characters never let you down with there development on the intricacies which surround them.

4/5

 

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goodbye

Goodbyes fascinate me.
I know of many a time especially in nursing when I've looked a person in the eye, shaken their hand and said goodbye, knowing they are dying and probably won't be alive the next shift I work.
It seems inappropriate.  It should be how I've enjoyed there company, learnt from the them, laughed with them. But nursing is fleeting, never is the relationship other than professional, sterile.

Friends and associates you often enjoy their company, laugh with them and learn, even fight and argue. The bonds are different. The goodbyes are always tinged with the idea you will meet again.
Yet there are times when you depart their company without knowing you will never meet again. Times when only on reflection that you know that the gulf of distance, time ways of looking at the world have separated you without both of you ever mutually acknowledging this.
Which ever way, I feel the gaps which these people left.

Thank God who puts people into these gaps; which otherwise would be gaping holes in our lives gaping wounds from a gun shot....

The percentages

Working in a secular setting is interesting. After a while you get to know where people sit, if they are aware of the spiritual, their opinion on the Church, Christianity, Buddhism etc etc.

I think as a very rough guide for my co-workers

20% antagonistic toward the Church and very cynical. They usually come out when the media reveals a 'Christian Nutter'. The Bushfires in Victoria was a good example and the 'Nutter' saying  it was God's vengence... Well the ward that I was working on, if you where a Christian you hung low.
Strangely I found it is rare to find an atheist, maybe an agnostic.

60% Apathetic towards the Church. Not really wanting to go, yet thinks Churches and Christians are ok. Possibly the easiest to get into a Church community.
Yet I think there are things keeping them back, they know that they may not scrub up to perceived Christian values and doctrine.  For example they are not married yet living with a partner. They believe that Homosexuals should have the right to marriage.  Clairvoyants are ok they have actually been to a few. They don't believe in a virgin birth.
In truth there a huge amount.

20% Actually go to Church, and talk of Christian things occasionally. Yep I'm in this group, though sympathise with the %60 often.

Out of all of the groups  most are very spiritual, they understand mystery and beauty. The wonder to be alive. Maybe this is a nurses fate where often death can visit those you look after and at the end of the shift you wonder why.