The Nurses' Cape

When I was a girl, my mother and I went to visit my sister after having a baby.  The hospital was the largest in our town and on the way to my sister's room we passed a poster in the hallway. The poster depicted a nurse in her bright white uniform, perfectly starched and pressed, her white hat perched upon her head and her cape tossed over her shoulder.  It was the nurses' cape which drew my attention.  It was navy blue on the outside and bright red on the inside.  The colors seemed to jump off the paper.  I am quite sure that poster had a big, though subconscious, effect on my becoming a nurse.

I have loved capes all my life. I love the way they cover you up completely, but aren't binding in anyway.  I love the fact that you can pull your arms inside and be hidden from the elements.  I love the way it feels when you pull the cape open and the material floats around you.

I only own one cape.  It is grey wool and belonged to my mother.  If I never own another, this one is enough.  

I do have a robe, though, which is similar to a cape.  It is not blue, nor is it red.  It is perfectly white without any blemish or spot.  Like my mother's cape, it was not mine, it was given to me.  Another paid the price for my right and privilege to wear this robe.  In fact, Another had to die for me to wear this robe.

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; 

for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, 

He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, 

as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, 

and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 

Isaiah 61:10

My robe is the robe of righteousness that the Lord Jesus took off Himself and cast around me. There is nothing I did to deserve this righteousness, it was a free gift which I simply accepted by faith.  

But oh, the Giver of such a gift!  How perfectly He lived to be able to bestow this robe upon me, and upon all who believe!  How greatly He suffered, "...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2.)

All eternity will not be enough to praise Him, to thank Him, to love Him.

"And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, 

which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, 

the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Philippians 3:9

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, 

but according to His mercy He saved us, 

by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

Titus 3:5

Awake My Heart, Arise My Tongue

by Isaac Watts

Awake, my heart; arise, my tongue,

In God, the life of all my joys,

Aloud will I rejoice.

'Tis he adorned my naked soul,

And made salvation mine;

Upon a poor polluted worm

He makes his graces shine.

And lest the shadow of a spot

Should on my soul be found,

He took the robe the Savior wrought,

And cast it all around.

How far the heav'nly robe exceeds

What earthly princes wear

These ornaments, how bright they shine!

How white the garments are!

The Spirit wrought my faith, and love,

And hope, and every grace;

But Jesus spent his life to work

The robe of righteousness.

Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed

By the great Sacred Three!

In sweetest harmony of praise

Let all thy powers agree.