In this issue, Fireseeds talks with David Tellez, M.D., Associate Director of Pediatric Critical Care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  As a result of training he received at a METS conference, Dr. Tellez now shares his faith regularly in his practice.  He offers straightforward ideas on combining physical care and spiritual care.

Fireseeds: Since you often deal with the parents of very sick children, you have an opportunity to talk to parents at a crisis moment.  These parents are in deep pain. How do you approach the subject?

Dr. Tellez: When I walk into a room, I first deal with the medical issue at hand.  Most of the children I see are incredibly sick.  Some have undergone complex surgery or neurosurgery.  Others have accidentally ingested medications or environmental toxins.  I see children who are in a coma from infections like meningitis or who need life support for severe pneumonia or respiratory diseases.  So, first I discuss the illness with their parents.  When I feel the time is right, usually in the first or second visit with the family, I take a brief spiritual history.

Fireseeds: Do you have a format for this spiritual history?

Dr. Tellez: In most cases, I gently remind parents that many spiritual issues arise during times like these. I encourage them not to ignore these issues.  Then I suggest that if they have a priest or rabbi, they are more than welcome to invite that person to the intensive care unit.  At that time, the parents usually tell me where they go to church and how actively they are involved.  Depending on their response, I offer them an opportunity to have a relationship with God.

Fireseeds: How do you make the transition to a gospel presentation?

Dr. Tellez: If the parents respond positively to the spiritual history, I tell them that God loves them and wants to have a personal relationship with them.  If they’re receptive, I’ll share the gospel with them.  If they’re not interested at that time, then I’ve planted a seed, and I bring up the subject again later.

Fireseeds: Are many family members receptive to the gospel?

Dr. Tellez: Yes.  Families are more often than not very receptive to hearing about it.  Much of this is based around their suffering.  They don’t understand why their child is so sick.  When we talk about suffering, I generally explain that their lives will be different from now on.  It will either change for the better or worse.  Anything that brings a person closer to God is good.

On the other hand, anything that pushes you away from God is not good.  I assure them that responding to God will change their lives for the better despite their current situation.

Fireseeds: Your purpose, then, is to give them hope?

Dr. Tellez: Oh, yes.  They need hope.  Most families will ask if I can save the child’s life. I tell them, "I can pro-long your child’s life, but I can’t save it. Saving a life is God’s business.  Prolonging life, that’s what we do.  And we do that well.  We keep the child alive long enough to allow him to make a recovery if it is possible. But we don’t have control of the outcome.  We have to trust God for that.  That’s God’s business."  This usually opens up the conversation to spiritual issues if it hasn’t opened previously.

Fireseeds: What happens when you are able to lead family members to the Lord?

Dr. Tellez: When they pray to receive Christ, I can sense the peace they have as a result.  Afterward, I pray with the family while the child’s in the intensive care unit as often as I can.  As the child gets better, we praise God for what He has done in their lives. I encourage them to speak to God as often as they can, read the Bible, and get involved in a Bible-teaching church.  I recommend Bible-teaching churches in their community.

Fireseeds: What is the most important aspect in success-fully approaching a family in crisis?

Dr. Tellez: Families have to recognize your compassion and concern for them and their child.  This gives you a platform from which to share.  When you first talk to a family, they do not know much about you and they may be a little hostile, frustrated, or upset.  That may not be the time to go further than getting a spiritual history.  Just gently let them know that their hope lies in the spiritual side of healing.

Fireseeds: When you take a spiritual history, what are your expectations?

Dr. Tellez: I keep in mind that it’s just a probe, a fact-finding mission.  Some parents don’t want to leave spiritual issues alone and others want to drop it as soon as you broach the subject.  That’s okay too.  At least you know where they’re at.  The child is going to be in the intensive care unit so I’ll see the family for the next several days, several weeks, or even the next several months. There will be time for me to get back to them.

Fireseeds: How do you make sure that you are actively involved in evangelism in the midst of high-pressure situations?

Dr. Tellez: First, I plan for initiative evangelism.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring people into my life, remembering that successful witnessing is sharing the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.  If you believe that God can use you to share the gospel with someone, it will happen.

Second, I believe that God can use me to reach others.  And He does.  I don’t have control over who comes to see me.  These children could go to other intensive care units in town.  And I didn’t have control over what happened to the child.  So I recognize that they’re all brought to me by God—for a purpose. Sometimes for harvest, sometimes sowing.  My purpose is just to introduce them to Christ.

Fireseeds: So an important part of the process is being prepared at all times.

Dr Tellez: Right.  It’s walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.  You want God to work through you so you pray to be filled with the Spirit.  Then you don’t worry about the outcomes.  You have to trust God for that.

Fireseeds: What should a health-care provider avoid?

Dr. Tellez: First, do not use people to simply share the gospel.  Instead, sincerely desire to help them experience the joy you have.  Second, don’t forget to establish your professional credibility with the family.  They are not coming to you as their pastor but as their doctor, so they must see that you’re competent with medical issues.  Show God’s love through your actions before you share your faith.  Third, when dealing with spiritual issues, ask for their permission to proceed.  If you ask, "Would you like to know more about a personal relationship with God?" yet they say no but you continue to pursue, you’re setting yourself up for difficulties.

Fireseeds: How do you identify the parents who are giving you permission to talk about God?

Dr. Tellez: You give them an option by asking them whether they would like to hear more.  That sets the stage, because then you’re just answering their questions, which you ethically should do.  If they’re not interested, then ask if they would like to see a chaplain or a priest.  If they express a desire to talk to a chaplain, I recommend chaplains who are believers. Then I ask that chaplain to visit the family.

Fireseeds: Can you tell us how you keep your attitude strong during these pressure points?

Dr. Tellez: When I walk in a room, I have confidence because I know I will have an opportunity to share if God should provide it.  I wait for the right time.  When a child is dying and I’m trying to rush him to the OR, intubating him, and doing procedures, I am about my business of keeping the child alive.  I trust God to give me the bold-ness when I need to speak.  That relieves me of being responsible for the process.  It’s God’s business.  He’s just using me.  The question I must answer is: Will I be where God wants me to be and am I willing to be used by God?  I pray every day to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then I know that God will work through me, and I don’t worry about the potential ifs, ands, or buts.s