I am grateful to Doctor Ernest E. Bruder, longtime chaplain at St. Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital in Washington D.C. In class he shared a remarkable story of the power of acceptance in the treatment of mental illness. He was searching for a patient who could type the manuscript for his book, Ministering to Deeply Troubled People. He settled on his patient/secretary.…
Month: January 2016
Little Ginormous Things
I’m lying here in the hotel at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in Rochester, MN. I just said goodbye to my parents whom I just said “Hi” to 24 hours previously. Now I’m alone again. It finally hits me, and I start crying in the bed that I shared with my parents, just like I used to do when…
The Meanest Man
If you know what’s good for you, you won’t visit old Owen. He’s known as the meanest man in these parts. He’s likely to shoot at you. You’ll know his place when you come to a gate bordered by barbed wire. Owen’s neighbor had my welfare at heart. His warning posed a problem. The sales supervisor repeated many times, Never miss…
Finding God on South Mountain
South Mountain was my favorite childhood haunt. My father didn’t know scientific names for flowers and trees. Nomenclature wasn’t necessary to appreciate the beauty. Creeping among the limestone rocks was the trailing arbutus. Finding this treasure was easy. Just follow the sweet aroma. My father said it was unlawful to pick arbutus. On South Mountain arbutus covered the ground like…
Be Someone’s Bible . . .
Walter was tired of sermons that didn’t seem to change anything. He happened to read an arresting statement. We may be the only Bible that many people read. He thought about the homeless man who had coffee every morning at his place of work. He walked past Jim every day without uttering a word. Maybe he could change his world…
What is Love?
The word love is used to describe how we feel about many things. We love favorite foods, pets, cars, clothes or even kitchen appliances. John 3:16 says that God loves us. His love is given to us as a gift. I learned a deeper love over my 40 years working in hospitals and hospices. A young couple married after three…
Are You Truly Alive?
Imagine living for 900 years. Could you fill those years with purpose? Would others be glad for your longevity? Would boredom set in? Old Methuselah held death at bay for 969! That’s a whale of a lot of living. Do you think he ever had a death wish? Did he get weary of the ups and downs of life? Some…