According to the LectionaryPage, August 12th is The Feast of Florence Nightingale in the Episcopal Church. I work at a Federally Qualified Health Center, where nurses are a very important part of the care provided, so I’m well acquainted with Florence Nightingale as a nurse, but I was not as well acquainted with her spiritual side.

So, I started exploring and stumbled across her Suggestions for Thought. I’ve only read a little so far, but I’m finding it fascinating. I’ll read more of it online and think about whether or not I want to get a hard copy. It is expensive, but it might be really interesting to study.

Meanwhile, it has been a tumultuous day. I heard about one person I know, whose house went into strict foreclosure on Monday and the person appears to be falling apart. Another person I know had her daughter taken away from her as part of a custody dispute. Yet another person put her dog to sleep after her dogs cancer got much worse. Another person found out that a close relative has what sounds like it could be a pretty bad cancer, not that they aren’t all bad, and is waiting to hear more.

On the personal front, I had a meeting yesterday about my journey, which was very hopeful, followed by an email today that was discouraging.

All of this fits together into the collect for today.

Life-giving God, you alone have power over life and death, over health and sickness: Give power, wisdom, and gentleness to those who follow the lead of Florence Nightingale, that they, bearing with them your presence, may not only heal but bless, and shine as lanterns of hope in the darkest hours of pain and fear; through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen