Tuesday, when we finally arrived to the city we would be
working in, me and 2 leaders I am staffing this school with changed into our Indian dresses and made our way over to the Director of
Medical Education’s head office to get permission to work at the hospital this
year.
“piece of cake,” I thought to myself as we made our bumpy
rickshaw ride to the office. Last year, the permission was granted immediately.
I never even considered there being another way. Yet to my unpleasant surprise, I was quickly corrected.
After a lot of waiting around we were finally ushered into the office of an
intimidating looking Indian woman. She met us with a lot of opposition. She questioned our motives and wanted documentation of the
legitimacy of our school.
Often times on the Birth Attendant School we reference
Exodus 1 and the God fearing midwives, Shiprah and Puah, who delivered the
babies of the Hebrew women against the orders of their king. I guess it should
come as no surprise that a Christian midwife school might try and find some
parallels in the midwives of the bible who feared God and the modern day work
that we are apart of. Nonetheless,
these two golden midwives give us an incredible example of how to live, not
just as health care workers but also as disciples in Gods kingdom. These women
feared God first, above anyone else, even their king. As a result of being
obedient to God, they did not listen to the king’s order to kill the male
babies that were born to the Hebrew women.
These midwives took a great risk.
The midwives respected God. They followed a higher authority
that wasn’t okay with killing. They weren’t afraid of worldly threats. I once read
an insightful commentary that said, “there probably was enough truth in what
they were saying to be believable, but they clearly had no intention of
honoring the king by participating in murder, and they saw no reason to give
the king a straightforward answer.”
They were shrewd.
They did what they had to. They revered God in their practice even when
it had to go against the higher governmental authorities. And as a result of
their boldness, Hebrew male babies were born. Immediately following this
chapter, we see the birth of baby Moses. And we all know what happens once Mo
gets on the scene.
And while I am taking the boldness of Shiprah and Puah into
great consideration throughout the past few days, it’s Mo that I’ve really been
reflecting upon. It was Moses who felt unqualified for the great position God
anointed him with.
“Go and bring my
people out of captivity.”
God is moved with compassion for the welfare of His people.
“I have seen the troubles my people have
suffered in Egypt and I have heard their cries… I am concerned about their
pain, and I have come down to deliver them.”
When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt,
Moses did everything he could to get out of the position, even to the point of
angering God. Mo asks God, with an
honest humility, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring
the Israelites out of Egypt?” This
was a legitimate question. Moses
was not a man of great authority any longer. Not to mention he had a
self-admitted poor speaking ability.
I think about what it would be like to be a Hebrew slave in Egypt during
that time. If I knew that someone was going to come to set me free I would
probably have high expectations of who this deliverer would be. I can imagine finding out it was some
stuttering old Sheppard who didn’t even want the job. I’m sure I would protest,
“Please, send anyone else but him! He is
definitely not qualified. And he’s definitely not the guy for the job.”
Yet that’s the incredible thing about the God we serve. He
is so unconventional.
Once Mo finally came to terms with the position God anointed him with he had to approach Pharaohs throne and stand firm on
the reality of what God had called him to do. And yes, there was great
opposition he faced every time he went before the throne, but he had to be
persistent. And he was.
I look at both of these stories and think about standing
firm on the word of the Lord. Sometimes that can put us in direct opposition of
kings, pharaohs, or in my case directors of medical education in India. We can be certain though that we are
victorious when we are obedient to what God calls us to do.
It's easier said than done though. Tha's for sure. Which is why I have recentely gained a new found respect for Ol' Moses.
“What are your
qualifications?" the Director asked.
Qualifications. This word.
India is very into its education. They put great value on
those who pursue prestigious careers in things like medicine or engineering. If
they can afford it, they go to University. No questions asked. And they study, hard.
But whoa. Never thought this would happen. It’s a developing
nation in great need of healthcare workers. and we're here to help. What’s to question?
But the reality of the situation is that this battle is far
beyond the physical. We have come to save life. To bring life. To love women who may never be loved
otherwise. To be God hands and feet. To invite his children into His kingdom.
And in the end, it was foolish for me to ever think that
there wouldn’t be opposition in challenging the one who comes to kill, steal,
and destroy.
What are my
qualifications?
Momentarily I allowed the question to bring me to a place of
defeat.
Technically, I don’t have any.
I am without a proper Indian degree stating that I have
completed proper Midwifery or Medical training. I know if someone without a
degree went into a hospital in my country and tried to work they would be
laughed at. Scorned at even.
So the question she’s bringing before us is not absurd. And according to this worldview I can
indeed be viewed as "unqualified." And yet, here I am, not just working as a midwife
but training and instructing others on how to be midwives.
Who am I? That you
have sent me?
I can try and justify it in my head. And for a moment I did. After all, I am
confident that I have been adequately trained. Yet, I know God is teaching me I
cannot fall back on the standards the world has set. These aren’t bad standards
by any means either. It’s just that I have had to learn that the only concrete
standard I can fall back on is the word of the Lord. Even if that means I don’t have a degree to show for my
work.
The God who sends me, qualifies me.
And while I may not be able to rock up into any hospital in
any nation to work, I am more than qualified and capable to provide healthcare
for the mothers and babies of the nations God calls me to work in.
But just like when Moses approached Pharaoh, the original
few responses have been met with great opposition. Needless to say, we are having
to jump through some hoops. We have been back to see the medical director 4
times now. It could feel
discouraging. Nerve-wracking even. After all, its not just for my own sake I am
getting hospital permission. I have come with a group of 14 eager students who
are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to being their practical work. And more
importantly than that-there are women and babies who need us.
They should wait
no longer.
So I find myself
being a spokesperson, a
representative so to speak- not just for my own benefit, but for the need of the nation we
have come to.
Like Moses, we have come to be deliverers. And while the actual context of that word may be a bit different, the idea is seeming to be very similar. We must continue to be as shrewd as Shiprah and Puah and as
faithful, persistent, and obedient as Moses had to be. It took a little bit of
processing for me to get to this place but I feel confident that we will see
the permission come in this week.
It is the word of the Lord that brings us to a place of confidence.
There has been great breakthrough and movement already in our request for
permission. ….And it’s coming.
For:
He has seen the
troubles His people have suffered in India and He has heard their cries… He is
concerned about their pain, and He has come down to deliver them.
Please join me in prayer as we continue to fight this
battle.
“O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you
have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. The
Lord said to him, “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf
or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
So now go, and I will be your mouth and will teach you what you must say.”
