Today I want to share a story that touched my heart, when I was studying nursing some years ago. A story about one woman’s quiet faithfulness that transformed countless lives.
During the Crimean War in the 1850s, thousands of wounded soldiers found themselves in overcrowded, unsanitary hospitals. Conditions were poor, beds packed tightly, infection spreading rapidly, and many soldiers losing hope. Most avoided these hospitals because they were overwhelming and heartbreaking, but Florence Nightingale chose to go in.
Night after night, long after the doctors had left, she would walk through the dark, grim wards carrying a small lamp. She checked bandages, offered water, sat with the frightened, and cleaned the filth. Small acts of care that no one else was willing to do. Her gentle light became a symbol of hope for the wounded, a reminder that they hadn’t been forgotten. They called her “the Lady with the Lamp,” because in the midst of pain and chaos, her steady presence shone like a beacon of compassion. Her unwavering faithfulness, her simple acts of love, gradually changed everything. Death rates dropped, hospitals improved, and modern nursing was born.
It wasn’t a grand speech or a famous speech that made the difference, it was her steady, faithful acts of care. I believe that story reflects what following Jesus often looks like for us.
Most of us won’t be on stages or do extraordinary things that make headlines. Instead, we are invited to carry small lights of joy, care and hope into our homes, workplaces, conversations, and communities. A kind word. A prayer. Patience in a difficult moment. Simply showing up.
Those small acts of faithfulness matter more than we realize. They’re like Florence’s lamp, tiny but powerful. Because when we remain faithful in the small things, even in the ordinary moments, we reflect the love and character of Christ.
Today we celebrate the sabbath, and as you rest and reflect, ask yourself, “Where can I carry a light this week?”
God bless you, Malin Andersen
