Sister Gwen, a nurse in a large hospital, had to leave for her yearly vacation. However, she was loath to leave one of her patients, a poor man in whom she had a deep interest, and had little hope of finding him alive again. As soon as she returned she went at once to the Sister in charge to inquire how "Daddy" (as they called him) was.
The answer was sad. "He is dying, and not likely to live the night through.”
Now Sister Gwen was a child of God, and each patient in her care represented to her a human soul to be won for Christ. It was her custom always to let dying patients know their end was drawing near. The nurse on the floor had not told the old man for, she said, "his son and daughter are with him; let them speak to him about it.”
What cause it is for thankfulness that in the midst of suffering and dying there are those among the nurses in all our great hospitals who can speak of Jesus, the sinner's Friend! Through their faithful ministry of Christ, many hearts have been comforted and led into life eternal, even when the natural life was fast ebbing away.
This nurse made her way to "Daddy's" bed. There sat his son and daughter cheerfully chatting away. Acknowledging their presence with a smile, Sister Gwen inquired, "Well, Daddy, how are you?”
"Oh, I think I am better," he answered. "Don't you think I show it?”
Still smiling she replied, "No, Daddy, I don't think so.”
"What! You don't think I'm going to die, do you?" "Yes, Daddy, I do think so.”
Shocked at hearing this, he looked at her in anger, and said: "Look, Nurse, your turn will come some day. You will not be laughing then.”
"I was not smiling at your dying, Daddy," was her quiet answer. "I was thinking that death is not a thing to be dreaded if one knows the One who has conquered death.”
"What do you mean by that, Nurse?”
"Well, I mean this: if one knows the Lord Jesus who loved and died for sinners, and who was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, and who is now seated at the right hand of God, awaiting the time He will have all believers with Him-if one knows Him thus, dying means only going to be with Him. There is nothing very gloomy about that.”
The sick man looked at her with an oddly inquiring look, and asked: "What religion have you, Nurse?”
"Oh," she replied, "I am simply a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and just know Him as my Savior.”
Upon this he stretched out his hand, and happily exclaimed, "Well, whatsoever ye be, I follow you now." Such a look of peace spread over his face that the nurse quite believed the poor fellow received God's testimony concerning His Son in these last moments of life here. God's grace and love is wonderful! Salvation through faith in Christ is grand and glorious. Reader, do you know Him? Are you saved?