FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE

When Florence was sixteen years old her life was changed. God spoke to her and told her that she had a task that He wanted her to do. Whatever anyone would think of such an event, it was real to Florence. She now knew that her life had a purpose, and that whatever would happen would be in God's will and timing.

In a letter Florence wrote 'We have four miles of beds eighteen inches apart'. The situation was desperate and eventually the male army doctors gave a free hand to organize the hospital and she did. She changed the wards, the kitchens, and the bedding. She provided clean clothes for the soldiers, and even arranged for one derelict wing of the hospital to be rebuilt. It was during this time that Florence gained the nickname 'The Lady of the Lamp' because she was continually checking all parts of the hospital day and night and at night, she needed the lamp. In 1855 Queen Victoria wrote to Florence to thank her for all that she had done

Florence met Queen Victoria, and this resulted in a Royal Commission being set up under Sidney Herbert to make recommendations on hospital procedures and Florence did most of the work! Much of the report was implemented. Florence then set up the Nightingale school of Nursing in 1860. She produced a number of books on nursing.

In 1907 Florence Nightingale, now blind, received the Order of Merit award. In 1910 at the age of ninety she died, having completed all that God had requested from her in this world and was present with Him in the next.

Each one of us has a life-purpose. We are not all called to be the same, we are unique, and our purpose is unique. Some life-purposes are outstanding and make the historic records, others are seemingly mundane, yet have a positive impact. Let us take some time to reflect on whether we are fulfilling our purpose here on earth.