Cedarville Stories Podcast: Trusting God's Sovereignty During COVID-19
Family Nurse Practitioner student Gabe Woodruff has confidence in his heavenly Father to take care of his eternal future and the present disruption.
Gabe Woodruff, a student in Cedarville’s Master of Science in Nursing – family nurse practitioner (FNP) program, didn’t hesitate when his U.S. Army Reserves medical unit was called to serve COVID-19 patients in the heart of Detroit, Michigan, at the height of the pandemic. That doesn’t mean the abrupt change wasn’t hard.
Gabe, his wife, Kayla, and his family experienced disruption throughout the crisis, but they were reminded that they had a Father in heaven who could be trusted through it all. “One of the things my wife and I would tell each other is if we trust God with our eternal security, why wouldn’t we trust him with our present circumstances,” Gabe explains in the podcast.
— Gabe Woodruff
In addition to sustaining Gabe and his family, the Lord also kept Gabe’s progress through the FNP program intact. He was on track to complete the 200 clinical hours required for the FNP, but when his orders came through, he was not going to be able to finish. He would have to serve those 200 hours again. But then the national board that governs FNP programs reduced the requirement to 125; Gabe had completed 128.5 hours.
Throughout this unusual time, Gabe has learned that the Lord’s plans are better than his own. He has developed a deeper appreciation for God’s sovereignty, especially in times of tremendous upheaval.
To hear the podcast, click on the play button below:
Hear More Cedarville Stories »
More to the Story
Gabe’s unit treated overflow patients from Detroit hospitals at a 1,600-bed field hospital set up at the TCF Center, formerly Cobo Hall and Cobo Center. Cedarville students have visited this location in the past to demonstrate their Supermileage vehicles at the North American International Auto Show.
Gabe chose Cedarville’s M.S.N. – FNP program because of its strong biblical integration.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its M.S.N. Family Nurse Practitioner program, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.