David & Jonathon

At the hospital, we have two adult units with one manager each. Myself and Natosha. Natosha started in July 2009. She's become not just a co-worker or even a friend, but a sister. Natosha and I have tissues stationed next to each of our chairs because we regularly ending up crying sharing our hearts, praising God and encouraging one another. We both have gospel music on our computers so a few times a day we'll hear a favorite song in the other person's office (our offices are side by side) and end up in one of the offices dancing and praising. We quote scripture to one another and share our requests for prayer coverage. We pray for our staff, our patients and our community. And we have come to serve another purpose in one another's lives, we check each other.

Natosha and I are both relatively new to management, both graduated nursing school in the same year and both love Jesus. That's where the similarities end. I'm a 43 year old Caucasian, married almost 24 years, two grown boys and have parents who are still married. Natosha is a 33 year old African American single mom of 3 daughters. She was raised by a single mom. You wouldn't think there would be enough in common for us to check each other, but we do. And not necessarily about nursing.

We check one another's attitudes. We check tempers and when we are crossing over the line of disrespect toward our leadership. We check one another's language when the infamous foul mouths of nurses starts to rub off. When we're getting discouraged we speak life into each others careers and lives. This has created an amazingly honest, open and surprisingly nonjudgmental relationship. One that is safe enough to ask to be checked.

"Am I wrong in my thoughts on this?"

"Do I need to confront this?"

"I am making this commitment, hold me to it."

"Help me to put this in a positive light."

Everyone, everyone, everyone has foibles and flaws. And when you are in a truly God-inspired friendship; the Jonathon and David kind of friendship, it becomes an act of sacred love to tell someone to knock it off. This can be as simple & silly and "Step away from the bagel chubs!" to "Do you realize that you are acting like a victim?" We are even sure enough of one another's hearts to call each other out on sin.

I pray that God would give me a heart to receive the truth about myself, regardless of the source. That when anyone points out some issue they see I am willing to stop and examine my life to see if there is some truth in the criticism rather than to become defensive. It isn't always those who love us most who can teach us about ourselves. In fact, it may be the ones who love us most who can hesitate to hurt our feelings. I want to be a person who is willing to recognize anything about myself that reflects Sara more than Christ.

Natosha and I are learning together to speak and hear truth, both the kind that builds us up and the kind that stops us in our tracks.