Acquired

Young nurses joining our Labor &Delivery unit have many things to learn, but one of the things that frightens them the most is learning to be the scrub nurse on C-Sections.  

To perform well they must master aseptic technique, learn the 52 instruments used and when they are used, learn the operation itself and the five body layers involved and then learn the idiosyncrasies and preferences of all the OB-GYNs who practice at our hospital.

Many of the new nurses are hesitant to scrub on their first "solo" operation.  They say they need more classes and want to learn how to do it by reading instead of doing.  It is usually at that point I share with them my "scrub class."  

It was at a busy teaching hospital and my charge nurse told me to scrub on the upcoming C-Section.  I told her I had never scrubbed before.  

She said, "Go, do it!"  

I told her I wasn't sure I knew how.  She again said, "Go, do it."

"Go, do it!" was the sum total of my scrub class.  It reminds me of a quote I heard recently:

"One cannot learn experience, it can only be acquired."

This is very true and was true of my own experience as a scrub nurse.  I learned to scrub in a unit that had no scrub techs (technicians whose only job was to scrub on operations.)  The hospital was very busy, so I had lots of time to acquire experience.  Because I scrubbed on so many operations during my initial learning period,  scrubbing is etched very deeply in my brain and is something I enjoy doing quite a lot.  I recently told one nurse my goal is to anticipate the surgeons so much that they never have to ask for anything.

As Christians, we must also acquire experience -- experience with the Lord.  We must make the choices to walk with Him, to know and believe His Word and to believe that what He has said is true.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him:  for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  Hebrews 11:6

We cannot learn experience with God, we can only acquire it.  We acquire it by consistently walking with Him by faith.  It is then that the learning about God becomes more than just learning.  The learning becomes a life sprinkled with moments of God.   We become those who both know and do.

"And this is life eternal, 

that they might know Thee the only true God, 

and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."  

John 17:3