Real Women. Real Stories. Real Bravery.

Happy Monday friends! Thanks for joining us on our Live Brave journey!  It has been so incredible to hear from many of you & to know that you have been encouraged, inspired & empowered!

I am excited for you to meet today’s lovely contributor! I met Sam several years ago at Arizona State University. Sam was a big part of the campus ministry we lead, ASU Chi Alpha. Sam is the kinda of person you want on your team – super loyal, genuine, a great listener & a fabulous encourager!

Bio: Sam Schieke was born in South Africa and has lived in Phoenix most of her life. She’s a registered nurse working in a pediatric intensive care unit. She has a passion for healing and loves all things Mexican.

I have recently been awarded the title of a “young professional”. It sounds very put-together but it’s really more of a label to signify the confusing time between school and… what’s next? To me and most of my fellow yo-pros, this term is hilarious because we are totally confused about what goes into adulthood and still have no idea what we’re doing at work every day as we start our careers.

My years at ASU were amazing. I grew in my faith and enjoyed life-changing community. Nursing school was challenging but somehow so comfortable for me. I was amazed to learn so much about the intricacies of the way God makes us.

Now I’m graduated and work in a pediatric ICU. I have such a passion for it and believe I’m meant to be there, but the stresses that come with working in a critical setting hit me hard. In school, my main job was passing classes. Now my main job is caring for critically ill children. I’m facing long hours, high expectations of skill and knowledge, difficult emotional circumstances, and my own insecurities.

As I transitioned into this environment I found myself dealing with a new level of anxiety and fear. It absolutely took over and overwhelmed me in every moment, whether I was at the hospital or not.

I always thought that only a super adventurous life would require bravery, but to be honest, I’ve never experienced something as terrifying as nursing (or adult life). Now being brave day to day is my only option as I continue to learn and grow. This transition has definitely taught me a few things about what it looks like to be brave.

I know I have the greatest inspiration to be brave: the sense of purpose and hope I have from God. He has been gracious to assure me over and over that I am called to this place and time, that He has victory for me at the end of the battles I’m fighting, and that I’ll probably learn valuable lessons along the way.

So I continue to live brave by going back to work each time with hope that I will become more comfortable as I learn, and trust that I have the authority I need to do my job and do it well. Most importantly, I know that scary things might happen, but that God will be with me, guiding me through.

I live brave by making the choice to agree with God on my purpose and partnering with Him by working towards the truth. That means actively negating lies that would tell me I need to be afraid or that there’s something wrong with me, and replacing them with what God says about me – that I’m precious, forgiven and dearly loved. That I was chosen to take care of these sick kiddos for a reason.

Right now, being brave looks like continuing on in this journey. It looks like identifying my needs on a daily or even hourly basis and making an effort towards meeting those needs. It looks like stopping to take a deep breath when I notice my shoulders are up to my ears.

I think these many brave moments are coming together to form a brave life. Though I need grace and help at every point, I continue to move forward. My encouragement to others who find themselves in a time of transition is to ask for help and to actively pursue the truth in each situation.

You might still not have all your normal lab values memorized or remember what an empyema is. You might still have to speak scripture over yourself in the mirror. You might still have to send a text at some rude time in the middle of the night asking for prayer to make it through the shift. I’ve learned that uncertainty doesn’t disqualify us from bravery. We can be thankful for the tough transitions that teach us how to overcome.