Marybeth Seal has seen been surrounded by tragedy, sickness and death in her 25-plus-year career as a nurse. The Niles resident has been on medical missionary trips to Borneo, Honduras and Indonesia and worked as a hospice nurse for several years.

But through her experiences, she has learned to find hope and grace in the most challenging circumstances, which spurred her to write “Grace Infusions: A Nurse’s Life, From the Crazy to the Heart-wrenching.”

The 194-page collection of vignettes, released last month, describes her nurse/patient experiences through “the eyes of grace.”

“It’s not just about nursing life. It’s about seeing God’s grace in the midst of difficult situations,” said Seal, a Buchanan High School graduate. “As a nurse, we give infusions. But sometimes we need grace infusions and see God’s grace when we are facing surgery, death or difficult situations.”

The short stories cover everything from her first medication error to treating the blind in Indonesia.

“I love telling stories to anyone who will listen,” Seal said. “But I especially like true stories, and sharing some real life experiences that have made my life richer, through joy or pain.”

Seal has already gotten positive feedback on the book. She gave a copy to a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and was facing surgery.

“She was terrified and worried,” Seal said. “So I prayed with her and gave her the book.”

Later Seal received an e-mail from the woman that read: “I enjoyed your book more than you will ever know. You have touched my heart, soul and spirit.”

“That’s the reason I wrote this book,” Seal said.

An excerpt of her book is featured on Guidepost Magazine’s online edition (www.guideposts.org) this month.

Seal is also the author of “Valley Girl: The Valley of Troubles Leads to a Door of Hope,” which chronicles her personal experience with the trauma of knowing someone who was murdered.

“It’s about how that journey through trouble led me to a door of hope, leading me to a faith in God,” she said.

Copies of Seal’s books can be purchased at amazon.com or by e-mailing her at grace.infusions@gmail.com.