Carrie Cochran
Biblical Worldview Paper
Theo 201

As a young child I have always wanted to work in the medical field and began studying medical books in the fifth grade. I had a passion for oncology at such a young age that I assumed that was the field I would be going into. As a young child we attended church until my parents became angry with God for my mom’s illness. So my desire to enter into the medical field was one that was my plan. A plan that I never prayed for nor did I ask His will in my life but little did I know it was where he wanted me.

While in college pursing my nursing degree my grandfather, who was my role model, my best friend and my biggest supporter entered the hospital in what would be his last week of life. He was losing a two year battle with liver cancer and being in the stage of school where I had clinical rotations and I knew what was going on with his body in exact stages he was entering. That alone made the grieving process incredibly hard.

There was one night in particular that startled me so much that I reconsidered my entire career as in the medical field. I didn’t leave his side, I was there day in and day out watching him, crying over him and helping take care of him. He was sound asleep and started taking deep breathes that lasted longer and longer in between before he would take another breath and I just knew it was time. He had been a pretty much unable to use his limbs, sit up or raise his head up but he sat straight up and said “I see it, I see the light, do you see them flying around? They’re here for me, I’m coming momma.” This went on for about five minutes and it scared me to death because he started breathing normal and it was if he wasn’t sick at all. I sat there in awe, they didn’t teach you this in school!

The very next morning my grandfather asked for a local preacher he knew to come in and pray with him. The nurse working the night shift was an absolute angel and said that she sees this activity so much and can’t count how many of her sweet dying patients who aren’t able to speak were able to speak and ask for a preacher or the hospital chaplain. My grandfather passed away two days after he asked Jesus into his heart and he died not being able to say another word after he prayed the sweet prayer. With my chosen career field in oncology where the majority of the patients are called home my belief is that God will be actively involved with his glorious creation. After seeing what I saw with my grandfather I can’t help believe that God wants all of his precious creations to be saved. In 2 Timothy 2:4 “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” As a Physician I know that there will be patients that are unreachable but I know that it won’t be because I didn’t try. “I believe that God calls people into different vocations so that their strengths can be used to care for others and bring glory to Him. God calls people to be doctors as in this example, told by Bruce Hennigan, M.D” God knows from day one where he wants you, how he can use, your strengths and weaknesses and your ability to minister in a time of pain. As Christians we should realize that God has called the physicians to administer not only physical healing but spiritual healing as well. In the Bible there were known doctors who not only healed the weak but healed the ones in need of spiritual healing. A term that is used in the Bible and was very prominent in that time was iaomai and it literally means, “To cure, heal, make new, to free from errors and sins and to bring about one’s salvation.” I know that my job will involve so much more than just treating the illness, I will be treating the spiritual soul of my patients.
Luke 5:31 “And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.” I have seen stories in the news where Christians believe strictly in prayer to heal them or a loved one. While I am a firm believer in prayer and that there is healing in prayer I am also a firm believer that God gave us the ability to think and recognize when we need to seek the counsel of a called physician. I believe that God is actively involved when he created us that he gave each of us a specific career or vocation to show and follow through with his work such as a doctor. When God formed us Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them,” Psalms 139:4 I will praise “You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.” By answering the calling that has been bestowed upon me I not only administer to the sick and lost in my community but I will have the ability to travel to those in need in rural areas. I will be able to travel with Doctors without borders, there will be no limits to where God can lead me to heal! “God and God alone equips us with the intellect and the thirst to explore science that leads to medical breakthroughs. If God does this, then by extension, doctors, nurses, and all health care personnel are God's answers to these prayers."

Reference:

NKJV BIBLE http://biblehub.com http://lavistachurchofchrist.org
A Theology for the Church Dr. Daniel L. Akin