I'm glad to finally get my introductory post onto the medical blog. These last few weeks I've been primarily involved in clinical work. That time has yielded a few opportunities to share the Gospel. Many have been those with terminal illnesses (HIV, end stage Esophageal Cancer). One man touched my heart in particular--he was only three years older than I--diagnosed HIV/AIDS on admission. He said that he didn't know Christ. After I shared his new diagnosis I explained that I also had a life full of sin, but that Christ had taken them away. The man said he'd never been to church, but that he was interested in "this Christ." The new diagnosis weighed heavily on his heart, and he gave me permission to contact a chaplain to come by later. I wrote an order that I could never write at home:
"Please consult chaplain to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with this patient. He is interested in the Gospel."
Later that night I returned, picked up his chart, and read in the chaplain's handwriting that this patient "accepted Jesus Christ as his savior." As I sat there with the nurses on the unit I was overjoyed to learn the best news about a patient I could have ever heard. Though he faced eventual death from HIV, he now had eternal life because of Jesus Christ. The next day I told him he was now my brother in Christ. Day after day when I talked with him, it was obvious that he had a new hope and a hungry heart. Please pray for this new brother and share in rejoicing in his decision!
