I entered my first year of medical school being sure of my faith in Christ, thinking that nothing would be able to shake it. However, soon enough studying and exams slowly but surely replaced my time with God. I would spend Sunday mornings in the library instead of fellowshipping with other believers. Before I knew it I wasn’t even spending time praying or reading the Bible. The word that can be best used to characterize my relationship with God during my first year of medical school is apathetic. Basically, I was asleep in my relationship with Christ. I am beyond thankful for SMI because it has been God’s alarm clock to my relationship with Him. God has truly blessed me by surrounding me with a community of believers and a reminder that I am His daughter that He truly loves me.
Through SMI I have also learned that I am not alone in having a spiritual sleep or falling short of what God has called us to do as his children. Today we had a chance to hear the opinions of some of the clinicians of Esperanza. One of my team members questioned the physicians on their opinion of the highly debated topic of government involvement in healthcare. One physician responded by saying that the government should be doing its best to provide healthcare, but in reality it was the duty of the church to fill in the holes. It occurred to me then that the church might be asleep in its duty to serve those in need, particularly in the healthcare field. The church is challenged to serve those beyond its congregation by doing things such as providing transportation to medical appointments or making sure that the elderly are taking their proper medications. Most importantly the church needs to be praying for both the spiritual and physical health needs of their church members and community. The church as a whole body of Christ needs to wake up from its apathy. It is time to be reminded that we are all created in God’s image and he has called us to serve and love one another. Despite our failures and brokenness I am reminded that God is always faithful and constant just as the old hymn Great is thy Faithfulness reminds us:
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassion’s, they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.