Wdarchivebackdrop

When It’s Our Time

Al Weir, MD

September 17, 2019
09172019WEEKLYDEVOTIONS

“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:16, NIV 1984).

I love my brother’s wife. Tonight, I sat in their home surrounded by their children and told her she had an aggressive cancer. When I returned to my home, my son called and told me his infant daughter has suffered head trauma and had a bleed in her brain. This was a bad day for those I love.

What do we do when it’s our time? What do we do when the ones we love are the ones in pain?

As healthcare professionals, we face the trials of others every day, becoming somewhat numbed by the tragedies in other lives, standing above the pain, or “ankle deep” as I teach my fellows.

What do we do when it’s our time?

We deal with it.

But we deal with it differently than those who do not follow Christ.

We cry to God with our heart’s desire to “take this cup from me” (Mark 14:36, NIV 1984). “Please, fix this, Lord!” We avoid uttering feigned religious banter, hoping that such will manipulate the Healer.

We use the mind and resources that God has given us to fight the battle. We offer our suffering to God to be used for His glory. We ask God for new truth and new direction to arise within the struggle.

We commit to helping others with greater effort when our time is over.

We walk through the trial with Christ beside us, His wounded hands in ours.

We seek ways to use our storm to introduce others to the One who calms the storm.

We surrender to God’s will—“Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36b, NIV 1984).

We rest in His arms, and we rest in His decision.

Dear Father,
When it is my time, let me be found faithful.
Amen

Al Weir, MD

Al Weir, MD

After leaving academic medicine, Dr. Weir served in private practice at the West Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee from 1991-2005 before joining the CMDA staff as Vice President of Campus & Community Ministries where he served for three years from 2005-2008. He is presently Professor of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Program Director for the Hematology/Oncology fellowship program. He is also President of Albanian Health Fund, an educational ministry to Albania where he has been serving for 20 years. He is the author of two books: When Your Doctor Has Bad News and Practice by the Book. Dr. Weir’s work has also been published in many medical journals and other publications. Al and his wife Becky live in Memphis, Tennessee, and they have three children and three grandchildren. Dr. Weir is currently serving on CMDA's Board of Trustees.