His Grace is Sufficient for Me

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2Corinthians 12:9

“Mr. Jones left you some very nice feedback on his customer satisfaction survey.” I smiled at my nurse manager as she gave me a wink. How nice, I thought. I really liked Mr. Jones. I had been his nurse assistant caring for him for the past several weeks following his abdominal surgery. He was always so friendly when I came in to help him. His wife, Susan, was always there at his side and such a positive influence in his recovery. I really enjoyed going in to his room and just having conversation with them and loving them.

It was a brisk September evening and I was working the evening shift. I went in to help Mr. Jones get ready for bed and he was gripping his side saying, “My side really hurts, and I’m not feeling so well.” I saw the look of pain on his face and I rushed out to get his nurse. It was about 10:30 at night and my shift ended at 11:00. I gave report and walked down the hallway to the elevator. I saw the nurse outside his room talking on the phone to the doctor and prayed everything would be okay. As I walked to my car, with the cold wind on my face, I prayed that the Lord would help in Mr. Jones’ time of need.

The next day, I returned to the hospital. The nurse on duty that night stopped me in the hallway to let me know that soon after I left the hospital the night before, Mr. Jones had been rushed to ICU and needed emergency surgery. My heart really was in distress. Over the past weeks of caring for Mr. Jones, I tried to build a relationship with him and his wife in order to share the gospel. It looked like I wouldn’t have the chance. I thought, “Did I wait too long? Should I have spoken earlier about the salvation that was available through them through Jesus Christ?" The truth was I was scared. I hadn’t shared my faith with very many people at this point. Although I desired to share how Jesus had set me free and given me the promise of eternal life, how would I go about sharing it with others and what would I say? Would I look stupid? Would I be able to answer all of their questions? I walked around that evening my entire shift in a daze. I had let the Lord down.

The very next morning, at 2:00 AM, I awoke from a dream that left me drenched with sweat. I had such a vivid dream about Mr. Jones that I can still see it in my mind today. There he was, standing chest high in a shallow grave with his headstone behind him. The moon shone on his grave and I could see every detail of his face. I knelt down beside him, cupped my hands around his face, and told him how much Jesus loved him and wanted to give him eternal life. His face lit up with light, even brighter than the moon behind him. In my dream, God gave me understanding and I knew that Mr. Jones needed to hear about Jesus and I understood I was to be the messenger.

I lay in my bed and tossed and turned. I could relate to King David when he said, “I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears.” Psalm 6:6. I called out to the Lord. I said, “Lord, I know you are calling me to go down to the hospital today and talk to him and share the gospel with him. I don’t know what to say to him, but I am going to go by faith.”

I had a huge nursing exam the next day and I really needed to study. But I knew the Lord would multiply my short studying time if I was obedient to His call. I got up from my bed, finished all of my homework, and studied for my exam until the sun came up. I called my sister, dropped off my boys and I was off to hospital by 8:00 AM.

I got to the hospital and walked to the ICU. I had no idea what I was going to find or even if Mr. Jones was still there. I knew nothing of his condition except that he had surgery. I stopped by the nurse’s station to find out what room he was in, and the nurse gave me the grave news. Mr. Jones was very ill. He was heavily sedated, but was still very aware of his surroundings and could still hear everything. I thought, “Great, then he will hear me when I share the gospel!” I walked to his door and my heart sank in my chest as I read the sign on the door. NO ONE BUT FAMILY TO ENTER. Now what? I called out to the Lord and said, “Lord, I know you called me here. What do you want me to do?

I turned around to walk away, and there was his wife, Susan, standing against the wall. The Holy Spirit instantly spoke to my spirit in very clear words, “Go through his wife.” Now I was scared. I was willing to go in and preach the gospel to Mr. Jones because he wasn’t able to argue with me or ask me any hard questions! But his wife? I hardly knew her. What would I say? Again, the Holy Spirit spoke. “Go through his wife.”

I walked up to Susan and hugged her. I felt so sorry for her. She was crying and very much in distress about her husband’s condition. I called her out to the hallway of the ICU. I was so nervous. In a very uneasy voice, I told Susan that I felt the Lord had called me to come down and talk with her husband and I wanted to share with her something. I started to tell Susan how could have the promise of heaven. I have never been so embarrassed and weak. I was fumbling around and trying to find the words to say and everything was coming out all wrong. I must look like an idiot, I thought. I fumbled around for about 10 minutes trying to explain what the bible says about being saved and giving her life to Christ. The whole time, Susan had this blank look on her face that spoke volumes about her thoughts of me not making any sense at all! When I got to the end, I had it in my heart to ask her if she wanted me to pray with her to accept Jesus Christ in her life. I was so overtaken with how much I messed up my gospel presentation that I didn’t even want to ask her. But the Holy Spirit literally forced the words out of my mouth and off of my lips. I asked her with a sigh and a forced voice, “Would you like to accept Jesus Christ’s forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life from Him? Without hesitation, she said with all boldness, “Yes, I would!”

I almost didn’t know what to say when she said this. I was so sure she was going to say no. I knew it was God, because in no way had I said anything that would have prompted her or caused her to give her life to Christ! In fact, all that came out of my mouth was jumbled up and confusing! I knew it was God! Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2Corinthians 12:9. In my total weakness, God’s power was shown gloriously! I was totally at the mercy of the Lord and it was only because of Him that she believed! No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44. His Spirit moved in Susan in a supernatural way and right there in the middle of the ICU hallway, she prayed to receive forgiveness and eternal life!

Still shocked, I started to speak to her. I said to Susan, “Now, I know this sounds funny, but I would like you to…” She interrupted my words and finished my sentence, “…tell my husband what you told me?” The Lord had already planted this knowledge in her heart and she knew that her husband needed to hear the truth of God’s Word. In Susan’s new found faith, she had more courage and boldness than I had and I had been a believer for more than a year! She believed even though her husband was in a state of sedation! Now it was firm. God had performed a total miracle.

Before Susan left to go to his room, we prayed and believed that he would hear the Words of God and believe onto salvation. I shared with her that in 1Corinthians is says for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband…I asked her to have faith and believe with me that the Lord had set Mr. Jones apart for Himself and that Mr. Jones, upon hearing the Word of God, would believe.

Susan entered her husband’s hospital room that day to share with him the greatest story ever told. Jesus lives and He is Lord of all. Mr. Jones passed away six days later, but my faith that Mr. Jones was saved has never been shaken since experiencing such a miracle. It is firm in my heart that Mr. Jones heard the gospel and received eternal life through Christ Jesus and the love that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from! (Romans 8:38-39 paraphrased).