I’m not sure, but I think I’ve had an identity crisis of late. It’s not that I forgot who I was, but rather that I struggled with my purpose, my usefulness, and where God has me. Honestly, this is new territory for me and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Where in the sam-hill did it come from?
Why?
After a bit of pondering, I realized that it came from Satan as a distraction from ministry. He thought if he could get me to look back, longingly, like the Israelites of antiquity, at where I used to be, I might abandon where God has me.
Well, I’m onto you, Satan, and you will not succeed. I am where I am because it is where God wants me, so put on your boots and strike a trot! Get outta here! I’m not budging one inch from where God’s plan plants me.
Whew!! I feel better. Now, let me explain a bit of what has been rumbling around in this heart of mine. In order to do that I’ll have to go back and give you some background that I’ve never given here before. This will probably require two posts, so bear with me.
In January of 1992 I went to work at Emory University in Atlanta, GA where I was the clinical research coordinator for Dr. Virgil Brown, a world renowned lipidologist. “Lipidologist” simply means a specialist in cholesterol disorders. My job was to run the clinical trials on emerging medications for cholesterol disorders for the Emory Lipid Clinic. My experience, after pharmacy school, had been in clinical trials and so this was a good fit for me. I had the opportunity to use medications like Lipitor and Niaspan in the treatment of cholesterol disorders long before they ever came to market. As a result, I became something of an ‘expert’ in the field.
My days consisted of seeing patients in clinic with the physicians. These patients were the worst of the worst. My average patient had a total cholesterol over 400 mg/dl. I’ve truly seen some incredible cases. Triglycerides of 19,000. Total Cholesterols of 600-plus. Young children with cholesterol in the 700s. We were a specialty clinic, so we saw many people who were considered train wrecks with regard to their lipid profiles.
We made a difference in the lives of these people. I’ll never forget one time a patient casually mentioned to me that she was having a bit of pain and shortness of breath when she walked up her stairs at home. (Cue the flashing red lights and sirens!!!!) I walked down the hall, grabbed a cardiologist by the sleeve and said, “I’ve got a patient who needs to be seen NOW!!” Within 24 hours, she was having bypass surgery. I felt like I made a difference in her life by helping her avoid a heart attack that might easily have taken her life.
Stop back in for Part Two of my identity crisis tomorrow.
MEDITATION MOMENT: Now that you know about part of my past work experience, I’d love to hear about yours. Share about a fun job that you had or currently have that brought you great satisfaction.
