a voice in the dark

Eileen Marston recalls God speaking to her in an unusual manner in the midst of the pandemic

As the Covid tsunami swept through the world, the NHS felt the full force of the pandemic wave. Our healthcare system was struggling with the heightened demands of saving lives made difficult by the challenges of social distancing.

In our department, telemedicine consultation clinics were introduced. As a substitute for ‘in-person’ appointments, they changed my working environment from a busy, flexible walk-in clinic to a telephone service. The staff described the deserted atmosphere of the clinic as feeling like the Mary Celeste, saying that this didn’t feel like ‘real nursing’.
A voice over the telephone became a powerful tool in caring for patients. I asked myself how I could offer the most value during the calls to each patient. Often, patients were anxious about a whole wealth of pandemic-related issues, and consequently, clinicians were dealing with a mass of uncertainties, disappointments, and sadness.

As I walked and prayed around the empty streets on my day off, I asked God for help with my new nursing role. On my way home, I glanced into a closed charity shop window and noticed a book called A Voice in the Dark. At once I recognised the warmth of God’s voice in my inner being. He had answered my prayer! The Bible tells us in John 10:27 ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’.

I remember thinking that when we pray, it is no surprise that coincidences happen. I returned to work the following day with a new enthusiasm and a sense of purpose for making teleconsultation lists.

God had instructed me to be a ‘Voice in the Dark’; a vessel for him. He is our Comforter, Counsellor, Helper, Advocate, Strengthener, and much more. My role had been clearly defined. I could handle anything with the attributes of the Holy Spirit living in me.

There was no doubt that God had orchestrated the perfect timing of the book and prescribed A Voice in the Dark to bring hope and optimism through the difficulties I was facing. How can I be so sure? Because it is written that, ‘Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit’. (Romans 15:13)

Eileen Marston is an adult nurse working in Oxford