Restoring Life: Bones & the BibleShembull

UNITY

Being banded together as a community for a common purpose is one of my favorite elements of the orthopedic industry. From the tight-knit nature of an OR team of nurses, scrub techs, reps, and surgeons to the clinic team of medical assistants, schedulers, radiology techs, and office directors, this community plays out on numerous levels through a wide variety of orthopedic settings. The situations these groups deal with can be tense and exhausting, and as we figuratively go to battle each and every day together, overcoming challenges and pursuing restoration for our patients, we build a deep bond that yokes individuals together.

One Biblical story that helps visualize this powerful community is the Valley of the Dry Bones. In it, the Lord sets the prophet Ezekiel in the midst of a scattering of bones on the floor of a valley. God then calls on Ezekiel to speak life into the bones. Ezekiel’s obedience leads to loud noise and rattling that fills the air within the valley. The bones begin to connect to each other, and tendons and flesh appear over them, restoring them into a body. Once they have formed, the Lord calls for Ezekiel to prophesy breathe into the restored bodies and they come alive!

The verse right after this is always what gets me. 

They came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.

When they were restored, when the bones were put back together and the breath brought back life, they were not alone. They were together. In community. A community with a purpose. They were a vast army. Just as we are in the orthopedic community.

Questions for reflection:

What was one of the most impactful teams you have been a part of within the orthopedic community?

What made that group so special?

How can you invite others from within the orthopedic community into the team?