Wednesday; May 12

It was 26 years ago this week that my life took an interesting twist. After visiting with a local politician, I was asked to become a Police Chaplain for the Pierre (South Dakota) Police Department. While I had a little bit of an insight into what the job might entail, I had no clue how this appointment would impact my life or influence our family. I consider the times I have spend working as a Police Chaplain some of the most rewarding – and some of the most challenging of my lifetime.

While I have been blessed to have been given this opportunity, if there is one lesson that has stuck with me the most, it is the concept of the ministry of presence. Those of us who work in the crisis field periodically get the chance to “do” things to help people, but the biggest benefit we bring is merely standing by with people as they navigate their own issues. We will never have all the right words, nor be able to heal all the hurts, but one thing we can do is be willing to sit next to someone in pain until they feel comfortable enough to move on by themselves.
While this may be an important tool in the toolbox of a Chaplain, when we consider the qualities of a good friend, I believe this is one of the most important ones as well. No, friends don’t have all the answers and cannot solve all the problems, but they do have a willingness to show up and stay. Good friends are willing to come when people need them and stay as long as they need them.
Not all of us will get the chance to work in community crisis, but we can all help out those closest to us. All we have to do is say, “yes” when someone asks, “Can you help me?”.

Think About It!

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