Update:
I spent the Tuesday morning with a friend. It was a good time of mutual encouragement
and prayer for one another. I enjoyed
his company as we explored some back roads in my pickup and then ate lunch
together.
I also was able to secure some private land for bow hunting this
fall. It is a short walk from the road
and I won’t have to compete with other hunters for the spot. I’m very thankful to the landowner because it
will make getting out in the woods much easier for me this year. Every place I can think of where I normally
hunt on public land entails what would be for me a long walk; I wasn’t certain
I could do that. I think that I’ll be
hunting from the ground instead of tree stand this year because of my
prosthesis. I’ve done it on occasion
during bow season but I prefer being up in a tree. But this year I don’t want to push it too
hard. I think it will challenge me
enough just getting out there. I’m
looking forward to spending some time in the woods this fall. Last year I think I was only able to get out
once or twice and then I was sick or busy all the rest of the season
culminating with my amputation during deer gun season. So I am really looking forward to deer season
this year.
Tuesday afternoon was spent at my office and in the evening I went to
the Altoona Fire Department where I serve as Chaplain. Being able to wear my prosthesis makes it
easier and I feel like I can do more there when I am able to walk; but I
decided that as long as it is possible, I should be there with them as they
train even if I am stuck in a wheelchair.
Chaplaincy for emergency services is often a ministry of presence
anyway. Being there when they need you,
rubbing shoulders with them so they trust you, building a relationship one day
at a time by spending time together.
That is the foundation for almost every ministry that we do.
When I am limited to my wheelchair, everything takes a bit more effort
and there are some things that I cannot do.
I am guessing that it will be at least one more week before my leg heals
so that I can use my prosthetic leg again.
I am so looking forward to that future day (whenever it is). I keep praying that I will heal more quickly
than I normally do.
Wednesday morning I did something very unusual for me. When I woke up, I really felt tired so I
decided to roll back over and catch a few more minutes rest before getting up. I have never been a fan of snooze alarms; when
it is time to get up—I get up. But on
Wednesday, I decided to roll over instead of getting up. I figured that I would wake up after 5-10
minutes; however, it was two hours later that I woke up! Whoa!
That really rearranged the day I had planned!
This past week has been filled with busy days and busier nights. I’ve been hard pressed to get any exercising
done. I miss not riding my bicycle. I think that next week it will calm down
again. Looking forward to it.
Thought for the Day:
After work on Wednesday, I had a training meeting to attend in
Menomonie, WI (35 miles away). I am a
Local Board Member of the Selective Service System and we had our annual
refresher training on Wednesday night.
Our job would be to determine whether requests for exemptions or
deferment from military service should be granted. Although the USA hasn’t used the draft to
maintain our military since the Vietnam War, the system has been maintained in
the event it’s needed in an emergency.
This got me thinking about all things that we train for. Firefighters train with their equipment on a
regular basis so that when a real emergency occurs they are ready to respond
quickly and effectively as a team.
Police undergo firearms training regularly and undergo all sorts of
refresher training like how to safely drive a squad car under emergency
conditions. High School football teams
will begin training soon to strengthen muscles, increase endurance and reduce
the risk of injury during the season.
Many professions require continuing education courses so that old skills
stay current and new skills can be developed.
Depending upon the injury or illness, those released from the hospital
may undergo some form of therapy to help them get back to a normal (or a “new
normal”) level of functioning.
What about training for the emotional, mental, or spiritual battles
that we will face? What training do we
receive for those areas of our lives? At
first, I thought that these areas are left without some sort of preparation or
strength training; then I realized that our parents become our first coaches
and trainers in these areas. They help
us learn how to think, analyze, and decide on courses of action to take. Parents help us through the difficult and painful
events we encounter as we grow up and help us learn how to respond. On the spiritual side, they often take us to
church and open us up to the spiritual dimension of our lives. Worship services, Sunday School, and Youth
Group help us build a spiritual foundation in our lives that we can turn to in
times of need later.
As we grow older, we lose the built-in training of parents and we
either experience some “on the job” training or we find some sort of mentor in
these areas. We may find books or attend
a conference that will help us in these areas of our lives.
How we think, what we feel, and how we respond spiritually to different
situations in our lives is of extreme importance to us the rest of our
lives. It may help prevent us from getting
into some trouble and it makes all the difference in how we respond to the
difficulties we do encounter. Maybe you’ve
encountered someone who isn’t responding well to a life situation and you’ve
thought that they should “Grow up!” We’ve
all heard about people who are making poor life choices and we hope they learn
before they ruin their life (or someone else’s). Our spirit may be crushed by some event, or
we are faced with the need to forgive when all we want to do is retaliate.
Our society is all about career training, but what about these rather
neglected areas of cognitive, emotional, and spiritual health? There are opportunities and resources
available that we really need to take advantage of before a crisis enters our
lives. All of us need some sort of
continual conditioning so we stay in good mental, emotional and spiritual shape. Even if we have a great skill set for our
job, if we haven’t developed a strong mental, emotional, and spiritual skill
set we won’t end up being successful in our lives; because these areas are an essential
foundation to everything else that we do.
So take time to recharge your spiritual batteries. Evaluate your current mental and emotional
health and do the things necessary to strengthen those areas of your life. Read a book, catch a seminar, or connect with
a mentor or someone you trust to talk things over. Take some time off—even if it’s a staycation
and recharge and renew. Invest in
yourself and in your future. Give
yourself a gift that will enable you to have staying power during the stressful
times of your life. They are
coming.
Are you ready?
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