Out to dinner with a Buddhist doctor...

Yesterday was the last day of my nursing contract for this time period at Parkview Medical Center. (They want to have me back, so I may do a shorter contract in the fall...but we'll see!) For now I am off to work on CCBN Ministry needs and also to take on some new people ministry needs as God has recently brought to my door. (More on that soon!)

For the moment though, I have to tell "one" of the amazing things that happened yesterday!

I was talking with one of the doctors about a patient I was taking care of and he asked me why I wasn't a "Pediatric Nurse" as I have a fun emblem on my jacket that says, "All creatures great and small, our Lord God loves them all." I proceeded to tell him how I'd wanted to be a Med-Surge Nurse so I could get a broader medical experience and also be better trained to do mission work. Then, as he charted progress notes and I charted assessments, he continued to ask me question after question about what I do and why? He was obviously blown away and yet interested and said, "You must really have a big heart!" I replied that, "When God has done a lot for you, you want to share that with others! He (God) has given my life sooo much joy and meaning! It's not a sacrifice to serve, it's fulfilling!" He was like, "Wow....that must be nice!"

Then some other nurse came along and was like, "Melody! This is your last day! What are we gonna do without you?" I just laughed. And the Doctor looked at me..."You didn't tell me it was your last day here?" He then asked what I was gonna do next, so I told him a little about Creator's Call. And I gave him one of our ministry info cards that I keep in my pocket. Then he had to run and I had to go do something for a patient, so we parted.

However, I had not seen the last of him. Within 30 minutes he was back and came looking for me down the hall. "Melody....are you doing anything tonight?" He asked. "No, why?" I responded. "Well, I was thinking that since this was your last day here, maybe you'd let me take you out to eat. I'd really like to hear more about your beliefs and philosophies about life!" Now it was my turn to be blown away. "Sure!" I responded. He gave me his card and cell number and we parted.

Several more God-ordained appointments took place after that.....but my mind kept going to the coming evening and wondering what God had in store. And I kept praying that He (God) would give me wisdom to share my faith clearly and adequately with this young searching Vietnames Doctor. I even called both my mothers to ask them to pray for me! And God answers prayer, because he really blessed.

To start off with, after he picked me up in his classy BMW, he asked what kind of food I like to eat. I told him I'm a vegetarian, and he was like "Wow!" He asked why and I told him.....a combination of spiritual and health oriented reasons. He's like, "Well, I guess you turned out ok for being a vegetarian!" I had to laugh!!!

We went to a nice Chinese place and the food was good! (We both ordered vegetarian as he said he couldn't eat meat in front of me after what I'd shared!) The best part of the evening though, was the conversation. I learned a little more about his background and shared some of mine and then we dived into the weighter matters of interest......God, and purpose and meaning in life and the Great controversary. Before we had gotten too far in our conversation, I asked what his religious background was and he told me that he was a "Buddhist" but not really practicing. I thought to myself, "Well this will be a first!!! But God, you didn't arrange this meeting by chance, so please give me wisdom and tact and the words to say!"

I found out that he hadn't been interested in Christianity before because He felt that it was just tradition and memorized prayers and forms and riots. I learned though, that he had Christianity and Catholicism confused and mixed together. So I told him the difference and then began to tell him, starting at the beginning when Lucifer fell from Heaven, the story of the Great Controversary and how Jesus had come to die for us. I told him how we based all our beliefs on the Bible as the Word of God, and so thus, being a Bible-believing Christian, this is what we believed. He listened intently and asked question after question. "Why did we need a substitute, why did God allow lucifer to have the choice to sin, who created hell....and on and on!" We talked for almost 2 hours!!!!

Finally, at almost 10pm he took me back to the hospital to get my car and we parted. But not before I gave him the "Hidden Truth - Amazing Bible Facts Revealed" from Amazing Facts and we shook hands. He seemed to have really enjoyed the evening and said he had a lot to think about. My prayers went with him! Now, the morning after, I've already received a "thank you" e-mail from him. And for my thank you (after all, he was the one that treated me out) I'm planning to send him a "Great Controversary" which is one of my favorite books regarding the history of Christianity and the great battle that we are in!!!!

So....God has a thousand ways to orchestrating events to bring the truth home! I'm just sooo excited to be a tool in His hands and am eager and excited to see what He has in store for the future. Being able to share my faith with a doctor is like a beautiful grand finale that God has given to this hospital experience. I have been soooo blessed.....and many more blessings are on the horizon!!! But more to be posted soon!

*Note - I wont be leaving this post up on my blog long-term as I will probably allow my new doctor friend access to my website and blog eventually.....so this is only up for now! But please, for those family and friends that read!!! Keep him in your prayers, that God will continue to open his heart and show me ways of sharing.