Reb the Surgeon: Grace in Every Beat
Dr. Reb Morgan was one of the most respected cardiothoracic surgeons in the country. His hands had mended countless hearts—literally. Patients and colleagues alike admired his skill, but what truly set him apart wasn’t just his precision in the operating room; it was his peace.
Surgery was high-stakes work. A single mistake could mean the difference between life and death. Many of Reb’s colleagues were weighed down by the pressure. They coped with stress in different ways—some through perfectionism, others through sheer self-confidence, and still others through numbing distractions. But Reb walked through the hospital halls with an unusual calm.
When asked how he handled the weight of it all, he would smile and say, "I work hard, but it’s not really me—it’s grace."
The Turning Point
Reb hadn’t always been that way. Early in his career, he carried the full burden of responsibility. He worked himself to exhaustion, afraid that a single misstep would ruin his career or cost a patient their life. The fear of failure haunted him.
One night, after a grueling 12-hour surgery, he sat alone in the hospital chapel, overwhelmed. The monitors, the machines, the weight of holding someone’s life in his hands—it was too much. He buried his face in his hands and whispered, "God, I can’t keep doing this."
That’s when he remembered something his father once told him:
"Son, you think it’s your hands keeping those patients alive. But you’re not the source of life—God is. You train, you work, you show up, but at the end of the day, grace does the real work. Stop carrying what only God can carry."
That night, Reb surrendered. Not his career—but his control.
"Lord, I yield to You. If You’ve called me to this, then I trust You to do it through me. I will work, but I won’t strive. I will operate, but I won’t carry the weight. I trust You in every heartbeat I touch."
A New Way to Work
Everything changed after that. Reb still prepared meticulously. He still worked long hours. But he no longer lived under the crushing pressure of self-reliance.
In the OR, he operated with focus—but without fear. When complications arose, instead of panicking, he prayed silently, trusting that God’s wisdom would guide his hands.
His patients noticed something different. So did the other surgeons. They saw how he moved, how he led his team, how he carried himself—not as a man who had everything under control, but as a man at rest even in the storm.
The success came, but Reb never took the credit. When praised for his work, he would simply say, "I labor more abundantly than they all—yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me."
Grace in Every Calling
Paul labored tirelessly for the gospel, yet he knew his strength was not his own. The same is true for us. Whether in the mission field or the operating room, grace is the power at work within us.
Reb’s story is not about working less, but about working from a place of trust. His hands moved with skill, but his heart rested in Christ. And that made all the difference.
A Prayer of Confidence in God’s Grace
Father, I thank You that Your grace is more than enough for every task before me. Whether in the great or the small, I do not labor in my own strength, but in the power of Your grace working through me. My work is in Your hands, and I trust You to accomplish what I cannot. Today, I rest in You, knowing that every heartbeat I touch, every challenge I face, and every effort I make is sustained by You. Your grace is never in vain, and I rejoice in what You do through me. Amen.
📷 Photo Credit: Unsplash