My view of integrating Christianity in my work is simple. I believe that I first need to set a great example. I learned this through my husband. Back when we first met, he used to tell me that he didn’t believe in God. I would beg him to come to church and tell him why a relationship with Christ is necessary. But it was useless. When I stopped trying to convince him, is when the real miracle began. He observed my way of life, including my peace, serenity and rock-solid faith. He saw me go to church, bible study and fellowship meetings with dedication and excitement. And most importantly, he saw that my high ethics and unwavering kindness in all of my business dealings. He really wanted what I had—the inner peace and faith in all aspects of life. He started seeing God in his life too. I heard him using one my favorite phrases, “That was a God thing”, to describe events in his life. I prayed that God would lead him to church and to a relationship with Christ and he did!
Similarly, as a teacher it is important for me to set good Christian examples. Kindness and love must come through in my teaching. And with topics like health, disease and medications, it is necessary to have answers to students’ questions on how this fits in with God’s will for us. I believe that God does not cause us to be ill but he can definitely use these bad situations that arise from independence for good use—whether it is a spiritual awakening or change of destructive habits.
When teaching on disease prevention, I like to stress that God provided us with all that we need to be healthy if we would just live as He has shown us. Eating a diet of God-given fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and herbs is both healing and preventative. But what most pharmacy students often do not know is the plant origins of many pharmaceutical compounds. I think it is important for them to know that not all drugs are man-made. There are many pharmaceuticals based off of plant compounds.
Most importantly for me is that I involve Christ in all I do. My life is not compartmentalized, with Christ called on only when I need help. I use prayer throughout the day to guide to me to the right words and actions and I see Christ in many little events that create my daily miracles.
