Imagine this. You're walking into work, about to start clinic. You get a message from your cousin in Gaza begging you to help them. Some around them are evacuating. They don't know if they should too (their 5th relocation). Area is getting more dangeous. Nowhere to go. 1/

WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL HER?!?!?! 😡😠🤬😖😖🤬😡😠😡😡😡😭😭😭 3/

I stopped before entering clinic. Sank in a chair in the hallway. My feet could no longer carry me. I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes. I refocused. This isn't the time for me to break down. She is already in a state of panic. What good am I if I panic too? 4/

I don't have a way to help them. I don't know the situation on the ground. I don't know if there is an imminent airstrike or if the threat is general. All of Gaza is under threat...under constant risk of airstrikes. The myth of a "safety zone" is just that... a myth. 5/

I'm a methodical person. What are the options? They stay or they leave. If they stay, they have shelter, some resources & risk of airstrike. If they leave, no shelter (even a tent isn't guaranteed), no resources, still risk of airstrike & all movement is dangerous. 6/

I can't make this decision for them. The guilt would kill me if my decision kills them. They are best positioned to make the decision. My role is to empower them. To stay grounded as a rock. To keep calm. And to listen. 7/

She starts explaining more. I have to start clinic now. I'm seeing patients. And in between each room checking my phone. She's talking through her options. I'm listening. We're doing a risk assessment together. They have a newborn baby, kids, several families in the home. 8/

Leaving seems impossible. Not physically feasible. There is nowhere to go. For now, they will stay. Decision is made. How do we mitigate the risks? The main risk now...is risk of airstrike. I can't control that. No one in the world can. But we are both strong believers. 9/

We start praying together. We know from experience that God is capable of extracting us from impossible situations. We both have enough evidence to back this up. From the Quran. From history. From within ourselves. One more piece of information: ceasefire talks have resumed. 10/

1. The mechanism to stop airstrikes is available (ceasefire talks) 2. The facilitator of the mechanism is accessible to us (Allah, the All-Powerful). We DO have a way of intervening. We keep praying. I reassure her that a ceasefire is coming. Analysts agree. 11/

She calms down. I calm down. Our faith grounds us. He will always choose the path of mercy for us. We will get through this. We accept His will. We will be ok. ❤️ 12/12

#CeasefireNOW