The Big Fright.
When I was working as solo night nurse in a certain hospital
ward, I often carried a torch in the breast pocket of my uniform with the beam
pointing downwards, As the head of the torch was within the pocket of my white
uniform, the light emitted a soft warm glow, sufficient to safely check on my
patients during the frequent night rounds without disturbing them.
One night a student nurse appeared at the ward nurse's
station just before I was about to do another round. I asked why she was there
and she explained that she had been sent from another ward to observe what a
nurse does on a night round.
I switched on my torch, put it in my pocket and invited her
to follow me into the darkened ward that was illuminated only by night-lights
along the skirting boards.
I might mention that I had inadvertently put my torch in my
pocket upside-down and the light was shining upwards.
As I walked into the ward I turned and looked back to see if
the student nurse was following me. As I turned, she began screaming in terror.
I immediately spun her around and led her back into the
well-lit nurse's station to settle her down and seek an explanation.
When she had sufficiently recovered, she explained that the
light shining on my face in the darkened ward gave my countenance a terrifying
appearance with my eyes appearing to be darkened, the shadow of my nose moving
grotesquely across my face and the shadow of my head on the ceiling above
making my appearance like that of a caricature monster.
Needless to say, the torch was returned to its correct position, we resumed our responsibilities and a check on the patients revealed that none of them had woken up despite the loud screaming.
When people look at us, perhaps in the street or at a social gathering, what do they see? Isaiah 43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD.