by Dawn Mast
“May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way.
The Lord be with all of you.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16
On Mondays and Tuesdays my husband is at home seeing patients via virtual appointments. I often hear him go into his office and throughout the course of the day Spanish words drift throughout our home as he helps the Hispanic community with their health needs. Most patient visits are straightforward, and Mark is able to stay on schedule and sometimes will come downstairs for lunch.
But today was different. He started his day by rushing around and felt frustrated by his schedule. He felt overwhelmed by all of the urgent messages he was receiving and the fact that patients with complicated symptoms were added to his schedule back-to-back. There was no time to complete notes between patients or spend adequate time delving into each person’s history and symptoms. My beloved likes to be thorough and listen to each patient for as long as it takes to determine a diagnosis and course of care.
While he was feeling stressed and like his schedule was controlling him instead of the other way around, I was downstairs cleaning, cooking and listening to worship music. It’s my belief that worship music must be played often and at the highest tolerable volume. I find that it fills our home with the presence of the Holy Spirit and brings calm to any chaos.
This day was no different. While I knew Mark was upstairs feeling anxious and very stretched beyond his capacity, I was praying. Worshipping and praying. I asked the Lord to give him peace and to give him the wisdom and discernment he needed for each patient. I prayed there would be time in his schedule for him to take a breath before delving into the next case. And I asked the Lord to touch his mind so he could focus on the person and not the chaos of the daily schedule.
Prayer for our doctor husbands is vital and can truly make a difference in their day. If I take just a moment to whisper a prayer over and for Mark, he often comes home (or downstairs) with a peaceful attitude. When I lift him up, I realize this is a ripple effect to his patients. When Mark is calm and peaceful and guided by the Holy Spirit it spills over to the patient who is anxious, fearful and facing a health crisis.
How can we pray specifically over and for our doctor husbands when we don’t know specifics about the patients? (HIPPA doesn’t trump the Holy Spirit!) There is a sweet comfort when we invite the Lord into a situation, and He knows details that we don’t. He is a God who intercedes and stands in the gap.
He sees (EL ROI), “You are the God who sees me.” (Genesis 16:13.)
He hears, “I love the Lord because He has heard my appeal for mercy. Because He has turned His ear to me.” (Psalm 116:1-2)
And His arm is not too short to save, “Indeed, the Lord’s arm is not too weak to save and His ear is not too deaf to hear.” (Isaiah 59:1)
This journey of being married to someone in medicine has positives and negatives like any other job or relationship. The key is to take everything to the Lord in prayer and allow Him to work out the details. As a couple we have seen the Lord’s incredible faithfulness in our almost 35 years of marriage. We’ve prayed through medical school, match day, moving, residency, job searches and job changes. He has faithfully answered every prayer in His time and in His way. We’ve had to trust through some hard seasons and in the midst of some truly difficult moments. He has never let us down! Today, offer Him your heart, your husband’s schedule and your household and see how He moves and blesses.
Faithful Heavenly Father, today started out hard and I thought my husband’s stressful mood would dictate the atmosphere of our household. But I stopped and prayed and invited Your Holy Spirit to come and reign here. I ask, God, that You would help my husband have wisdom and discernment from You so he can help those you bring to him for care. I pray that you calm him when his schedule is filling up faster than he can keep up. And I ask for healing in the Name of Jesus for his patients. Thank you, Lord, for the way you hear our heart cry on days when it seems everything is unraveling. You truly are merciful and faithful and we love You!
Amen.
Dawn Mast is a speaker and writer for Encouragement Cafè Ministries who brings reassurance, scripture application, and delightful humor to those married to medical professionals. She and her physician husband have four adult children, a daughter-in-law, one grandson, and two dogs, and live in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
