I’ve enjoyed profiling my heroes over this last week. They each are such amazing people, each doing their part, in their own way, to help get us through this crisis.
The hardest part in writing these stories was choosing who to profile. Like Paul, when he listed the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 and lamented not having time to tell of all of them, I too wished I could tell you about all the heroes I admire.
For example, there are amazing PA’s and NP’s like Eric Davis, Kurt Haisch, Vikki Russ, Amy Wood, and Craig Elsner, who I had the privilege of working with for many years.
Then there’s incredible doctors like Alex Crane, Jackson Henley, Faith Cowgill, Mike Parnell, Jonathan Kim, and so many others who daily sacrifice time with family and risk their own health to bring comfort and healing to their patients.
Of course, I can’t forget wonderful nurses like Theresa Bindley, Bev Battis, Paula Simmons, Jesin Cacka, Jessica Jimenez, Megan Ruckman, Lisa Hill, and so many others, who keep us providers in line, while gently ministering to the needs of the sick and suffering
And don’t forget the MA’s, like Karen Cortez, Jennifer Alan Rice, Ana Capi, Keri Shipley, and many others, and receptionists and ward clerks like Carmen Guzman, Rosemary Padron, Marsha Rosamond, Sherry Noffsinger and others.
I haven’t even mentioned interpreters like my wife Ana Edison and Jorge Torres or lab techs like Juan Lopez. And don’t forget the counselors, pastors, support workers, grocery clerks, scientists, policemen, EMT’s, and firemen. I could go on-and-on. So many heroes have stepped forward during this pandemic, sacrificing so much to turn the tide of this disease and help the suffering and dying.
It has been said times of crisis bring out the best in people. Never, in recent years, have we seen the truth of this statement so truly exhibited as we have in the last few weeks. Everyday, all over the world we see people following Paul’s advice in Philippians 2:3, 4 to, “in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
We all love our heroes, but I pray this Easter and in the coming weeks and months, while this crisis unfolds, we will all step up and be the heroes this world needs. Having “the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who…made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…” (v. 5, 6), let us each answer the call and do what we can, where we are, with what we have, to lend a helping hand to those in need.
God bless and have a Happy Sabbath!