Happy new year! This is the first time I've celebrated the New Year in Australia. It was very low key compared to my previous experiences. I watched the fireworks from my window, and wished J, C, and the two dogs a happy new year.
I don't tend to make any serious new year's resolutions, but I do like reflecting on the previous year, and what a year that was! If I could describe it in one word, that word would be Faith.
The early months of 2013 were an uncertain time for me. And like others in my situation (I assume), I felt confused, helpless, and anxious. You hear the stories from those who have forged paths before you- "I fell into my speciality", or "I've always wanted to do X, so I worked hard for it".
I decided I would put my faith into action. Faith in God, which I interpreted as a eureka moment when I realised I loved surgery, and smoothly transiting thereafter into the training programme without difficulty. Given my surgical term was not until Term 3, I decided that I would not make any applications this year while I put my faith into action.
I guess some part of me knew deep inside that faith doesn't mean believing something you want will happen just because that's how you want your life to pan out. But aren't we all guilty of that? Yet I am so grateful that God is not a backpack God, but the God of Isaiah. As I let go of my own human goals and ideals, I was amazed by the path that I was led towards.
From one thing to another, I ended up in a completely unexpected speciality. You hear it all the time in testimonials - "God changed me", or "God told me to do this". I do believe that God is able, but I find it difficult to just accept vague and broad ranging testimonials. I need details. So here is a brief selection of details from my story.
- career selection crisis in Term 1, resulting in multiple discussions with my bosses. One of them mentioned the speciality that I would later apply for. I dismissed with at that time.
- two of my close friends had recently chosen the speciality, and loved it. One of them repeatedly suggested I consider it.
- for Term 2, I was seconded to the most distant hospital possible while still being considered "metropolitan". I tried my hardest to swap to a closer hospital, to no avail.
- during this term, I worked with a wonderful team of people, including a boss who gave me what was probably the best reference of my career.
- I also bumped into an old acquaintance here, and being incapable of small talk, decided to ask him what he honestly thought about his career (in the same speciality that my Term 1 boss mentioned). Following glowing reviews, he suggested that I contact the head of training and have a discussion.
- working in the same hospital, I discovered one day that the head of training was working... next door to me. Having had an unusually quiet day at work, I decided to say hello and ask about their career satisfaction.
- the discussion involved me mentioning that I had never previously considered this speciality. Despite this, I was surprisingly was encouraged to make an application for the job opening which would be in a month's time.
- I scrambled to find references, put together a CV, and spend more time in the department. Thinking that I probably had very little chance of getting into a competitive speciality in my state, I applied interstate as well. To my great amazement, I was invited to attend interviews, and subsequently offered both jobs.
There have been so many amazing moments in 2013, but I chose to share this story because the chain of events still amazes me.
From the conversations with people that God has placed around me, to the hospital placement that I tried so hard to escape, to the many "it just so happened..." moments in that hospital which led to my decision to apply. Even putting together a CV was dotted with so many coincidental moments- for example, having an unexpected extra week of leave to spend shadowing the department because a travel companion couldn't get enough time off work, and finding a relevant conference to attend in the same week and state as a surgical conference that I had already planned on attending.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (NIV)
I decided I would put my faith into action. Faith in God, which I interpreted as a eureka moment when I realised I loved surgery, and smoothly transiting thereafter into the training programme without difficulty. Given my surgical term was not until Term 3, I decided that I would not make any applications this year while I put my faith into action.
I guess some part of me knew deep inside that faith doesn't mean believing something you want will happen just because that's how you want your life to pan out. But aren't we all guilty of that? Yet I am so grateful that God is not a backpack God, but the God of Isaiah. As I let go of my own human goals and ideals, I was amazed by the path that I was led towards.
From one thing to another, I ended up in a completely unexpected speciality. You hear it all the time in testimonials - "God changed me", or "God told me to do this". I do believe that God is able, but I find it difficult to just accept vague and broad ranging testimonials. I need details. So here is a brief selection of details from my story.
- career selection crisis in Term 1, resulting in multiple discussions with my bosses. One of them mentioned the speciality that I would later apply for. I dismissed with at that time.
- two of my close friends had recently chosen the speciality, and loved it. One of them repeatedly suggested I consider it.
- for Term 2, I was seconded to the most distant hospital possible while still being considered "metropolitan". I tried my hardest to swap to a closer hospital, to no avail.
- during this term, I worked with a wonderful team of people, including a boss who gave me what was probably the best reference of my career.
- I also bumped into an old acquaintance here, and being incapable of small talk, decided to ask him what he honestly thought about his career (in the same speciality that my Term 1 boss mentioned). Following glowing reviews, he suggested that I contact the head of training and have a discussion.
- working in the same hospital, I discovered one day that the head of training was working... next door to me. Having had an unusually quiet day at work, I decided to say hello and ask about their career satisfaction.
- the discussion involved me mentioning that I had never previously considered this speciality. Despite this, I was surprisingly was encouraged to make an application for the job opening which would be in a month's time.
- I scrambled to find references, put together a CV, and spend more time in the department. Thinking that I probably had very little chance of getting into a competitive speciality in my state, I applied interstate as well. To my great amazement, I was invited to attend interviews, and subsequently offered both jobs.
There have been so many amazing moments in 2013, but I chose to share this story because the chain of events still amazes me.
From the conversations with people that God has placed around me, to the hospital placement that I tried so hard to escape, to the many "it just so happened..." moments in that hospital which led to my decision to apply. Even putting together a CV was dotted with so many coincidental moments- for example, having an unexpected extra week of leave to spend shadowing the department because a travel companion couldn't get enough time off work, and finding a relevant conference to attend in the same week and state as a surgical conference that I had already planned on attending.
So I am left feeling blessed, undeserving, amazed, yet so glad that I don't always have my own way. So joyful that God who is able to do so much more than I ask or want Him to. Around the world, many of us will continue living as though we have a God who is able to grant the desires of our hearts but somehow not able to change our hearts to have Godly desires. As you make your new year's resolutions, I pray that they will reflect faith in a God who is able.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (NIV)
