Home—Kimberley-Ann Tan

Kimberley-Ann Tan F or many of us, the circuit breaker brought everything to a standstill. For Kimberley-Ann Tan—fresh nursing graduate, cell leader and worship leader in at Paya Lebar Methodist Church’s Youth Service—it was a hurricane of activity, as well as one of the biggest tests of her faith.

The circuit breaker coincided with Kimberley’s final undergraduate clinical attachment. Being new on the job amidst a pandemic brought on a lot of stress, on top of worrying about endangering her family, and juggling responsibilities in church.

A typical day at work for her ranges from serving medications, changing diapers and turning over patients with mobility issues, constantly monitoring and reporting any patient abnormalities to doctors, conducting training for patients or their caregivers, to following up on any unsettled administrative work.

Having had to adjust to the fast-paced, non-stop work environment and long shifts, Kimberley has reached several breaking points where intense feelings of sadness and anger overwhelm her. However, it was also during these low moments where she would cry out to God and eventually find refuge in Him. “Having this connectedness to Him at work has helped me see my patients, my work, my colleagues, in a whole new light,” she said. “In the happy moments, I celebrate with Him. In the stressful and angry moments, I cry out to Him and He goes through them all right by my side. Then I find myself in tears, but for the right reasons.”

To cope with the physical and mental demands of work, Kimberley has learnt to take time off work to do things she loves with church, family, friends and hobbies, and to take care of her own health. To Kimberley, the best rest is in His presence—where without fail, she would be filled with unimaginable peace, joy and hope.

“One of the things I am still battling with is learning how to humble myself and lay aside my pride. I used to fear coming across to my friends, family and church as being fearful, weak or incompetent. But He has shown me that I’m truly not alone in this journey,” she shared. Even at the workplace, her Christian colleagues have helped in building a strong support system by praying and relating with her struggles.

As 2020 has been a tough year for many, Kimberley would like to encourage others to share their struggles with God no matter how trivial they seem, as He pays attention to even the smallest of worries. Worrying about the future is normal but Kimberley hopes that it does not consume us. Even though the future she had in mind was extremely different from what it is today, Kimberley is happier and closer to God than ever.