Journal of Sacred Work

God keeps opening inside of me.
– Hafiz (1320-1389)

   So much of our lives seems to be governed by things from without that we may forget that Love is a force that grows from within each of us. Much is made of life battles between the forces of good and evil. But it is Love that is seeking to guide us amid both good and evil. We need guidance to live love. We need courage in the middle of evil not to let our standards slip.
   The history of nursing is a history of loving care flowing from within. Yet love sometimes slips away from us and is replaced by fear…   

   For example, one of the debates that highlights our need to know love at all times
is the question of whether the use of torture is justified in times of
war. Some Americans argue that we should torture suspected terrorists
because this is the only way we can gain needed information to help our
side of the battle. Perhaps the best way to find an answer to this hard question is to ask another. When we sink to torturing our prisoners, what differentiates us from our enemies?
   The power of Love is always present to guide us as we seek to make the right decisions as caregivers. This power can give us the courage to make the right decisions in the presence of moral conflict.
   A common dilemma for caregivers comes when an authority figure, say a doctor or supervisor, gives us an instruction that goes against what we think is right for a patient. This problem is all too common. A doctor writes a wrong order and angrily insists that it be carried out against the protests of a nurse who resists. Or an edict comes from the executive office to cut staffing levels below what a manager or first line staff member feels is best for patient care.
   How does love guide us? Love calls us to remember that true caring calls us to be "tough minded" as well as "tender hearted."
   Sometimes, caregivers fighting bad decisions imagine they can do so without pain. More often, caregivers may imagine that if they just "go with the flow" they will escape pain. Neither is correct. It is when we make the right decisions consistent with the guidance of Love that we feel Love growing within us. This growth, like all kinds of change, may sometimes involve pain.
   Pain is one of the ways we know we are alive. Love is the power that tells us our lives are worth living.

-Erie Chapman