Internet users might know the word “pinning” from the site pinterest.com where they can pin photos of personal interest to “pinboards”, like yummy-looking recipes, clever decorating ideas, or hoped-for travel destinations.
But this isn’t the only kind of pinning. Wrestlers can win a match by “pinning” their oppo- nent’s shoulders to the mat for a required number of seconds.
And surgeons sometimes perform “pinnings” to stabilize unsteady joints. Our mom had this kind of surgery after breaking her hip.
Back in the 1950’s a college girl could be “pinned” with her boyfriend’s fraternity pin as a pre-engagement commitment. This “pinning” was followed several months later by a diamond ring and soon after that, a wedding band.
One other kind of “pinning” is accompanied by a formal ceremony in a crowded room filled with people taking pictures. It’s the official welcoming of a nursing student into the profession, and each one receives a pin representing the college where they were trained.
Mary and Bervin attended Stina’s pinning today in Chicago, excited to see their newly-graduated daughter step into the next phase of her life. It was especially meaningful for Mary, who remembers her own 1966 pinning ceremony. Stina’s tender heart, much like her mother’s, guarantees that she will be the kind of nurse who consistently blesses her patients.
All of these pinnings have something in common: each one is the outward evidence of what’s been going on inside. For example, Pinterest lets us know what someone is about to do, try, or make. A wrestler’s pinning informs the crowd of his determination to dominate his opponent. A fraternity pinning reveals the strong love of a guy for a girl, and a nurse’s pinning tells the world she’s learned how to medically assist a patient.
And there’s one other pinning, a more important event than all the others combined. It’s the moment we fasten ourselves to our heavenly Father in a permanent partnership. Once we’re pinned to him, there’s no way we can be unpinned. Nothing exists strong enough to pull us apart. And our joy in this pinning lets others know how we feel about the One to whom we’ve been pinned.
As Stina moves into the busy world of active nursing, may the pin she wears be a steady reminder of her permanent, personal connection with the Lord. May she take advantage of his expertise with hospital patients and health problems, by first getting his opinion about what each patient needs. And if she follows his instructions, she’ll end up the most popular nurse in the whole hospital.
“Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- Praise for another very good day, this one watching Stina graduate
- Praise for being able to eat regular food again
- Pray that pain around the feeding tube would calm like it did before
