A broken world?

The Oklahoma tornado is just the latest in a string of heartbreaking events. From the Aurora shooting to Hurricane Sandy to the Boston Marathon bombings to back alley abortion clinics to this. The worst of human nature and Mother Nature all marching us towards...what? People look around and say "Where is your god?" Even Christians have a hard time reconciling what is going on in the world with what Scripture says and what we know to be true in our hearts. So what are we to think?

(Disclaimer: I'm totally stealing this from the Lanky Guys Pentecost podcast, but since I know that no one will go and listen to the whole podcast if I post the link, I will summarize the opening for you here.)

We do not, in fact, live in a broken world. Well, at least not JUST a broken world. We live in a broken, but redeemed, world. Yes, sin has entered and the natural order is disrupted, but Christ has still won the victory. The lanky guys liken it to World War II. Scott Powell says that we are in the period similar to the one between D-Day and VE Day. Once the Allied forces were closing in and the Nazis knew that they were losing, did they free the concentration camps? No, they "wreaked as much havoc as they could because they knew they had already lost." We are in that limbo period. Christ has won, but we are awaiting the Second Coming, which will essentially be our "liberation" from this "concentration camp" of a broken world. Evil knows it has lost, and Satan is wreaking as much havoc as he can in the meantime. So take heart, because all this tragedy means that Christ has already won.

One last hurrah

After spending the weekend with my class in the Las Vegas of the Midwest (apparently that's what Branson is called; I also heard "Las Vegas for Pastors and Old People"), I feel a little more acutely what I am leaving behind in July. Three years of going through pretty much everything with these wonderful, amazing people. Potlucks and game nights, happy hours, baby showers, weddings, funerals, baseball games, birthday celebrations, horrific call shifts, patients that make you laugh and ones that make you wanna throw things. We've cooked together, changed diapers together, gone to church together, and cried together.

So we had one final hurrah before graduation to enjoy each other's company. We had reservations at Still Waters Resort, a sprawling camp ground right on Table Rock Lake. A nice little treat to have 2 queen beds, a porch, and a kitchenette all to myself. Although my room was closest to the pavilion so I did share my bathroom quite a few times during the barbeque Friday night. It was so good to see everyone and catch up since I spent last month in the PICU and have spent the first half of this month studying at home.

 Saturday brought lounging at the pool, boards games, snacks, playing with the kids, and then some time on the water before we all headed into town for dinner and drinks. So nice to not have anything on the agenda and to have lovely people to share the beautiful day with.

While I'm going to be ready to move on in terms of being done being a resident, I will miss these wonderful friends and their families that have been my support over the last three years. And I'm grateful to have had the retreat weekend together. Looking forward to graduation and a few more happy hours before we're done.

A little bit of awesome for you

Things that made me smile this week:
-making a toddler squeal with delight
-the smell of flowers blooming
-friends who offer me a taste of their husbands' drinks
-birthday surprises (yes, I know my birthday was last month, deal with it)
-other people's birthday surprises
-freshly cut grass
-fancy delicious dinner in a former-speakeasy-now-jazz-club with good friends
-surpassing the 5-mile mark for the first time ever on a run (okay, I mostly was trying to stay upright, not actually smiling, but now I'm smiling)
-when I can actually feel my body relax when my head hits the pillow and I know I don't have to set an alarm
-hugs (hugs are always awesome)

Residency 3.10: PICU

Well, I survived. It's hard to look back on the whole month objectively because I ended on a rather sour note (read: the worst day of the month and in recent memory). But, in trying not to let that color everything, I have to admit that overall it was a positive experience. The attendings and fellows did a lot of teaching, the nurses were awesome, I learned a thing or two, I worked with three awesome residents, and we got to do Musical Rounds (see prior post).

I think the best part of the month was getting to watch kids get better, which doesn't always happen in the PICU. The patient I put a chest tube in, the patient I did chest compressions on, the patient who went on ECMO, the patient who kept bleeding from her lungs...all now either on the floor or back at home. Success. Another highlight of the month was two of the nurses telling me they wished I was staying in the PICU because they trusted me. Makes it a little easier to put that last day behind me.

Now if I could just get my body to catch up on sleep so that I don't have to spend my entire board review month taking 3 hour naps like I did yesterday, that would be great. But if not, hey, I have the ability to take 3 hour naps every day. Yippee!