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Chaplains Associates, Inc.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Caring For People In The Workplace...
Chaplain's Corner: 2006 Archives
Love and Hate
Two of the most misused words in the English language are love and hate. We use these words to describe everything from possessions “I love that car” to food “I hate Brussels sprouts”. This month I would like to give you a few examples of children’s definitions of what love is to them.
When my grandma got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandpa does it for her now all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love. Rebecca- age 8
Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss. Emily- age 8
Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, when he wears it every day. Noelle- age 7
Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken. Elaine- age 5
Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford. Chris- age 7
You really shouldn't say "I LOVE YOU" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget. Jessica- age 8
Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. Bobby- age 7
And the best example was a 4 year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly man who had just lost his wife. When the child saw the man cry, the little boy went over into the man's yard and climbed onto the man's lap and just sat there. When the boy's mother asked him what he'd said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
A Heart Felt Thanks
This is the season to give thanks, but do we offer thanks from our heads or our hearts. A child will say Thank You only after they are reminded and they get what they want. As parents we wait for the day when a child will truly understand and offer a heart felt thank you. This will most often happen after they have children of their own.
As we give thanks to our Creator for all that has been given, is it from our heart or our head. A telescope may better explain my point. It may be a guy thing, but there was a time when I looked through both ends of the telescope. When I looked through the eyepiece it would magnify things properly. When I would look through the telescope backward, things would be reduced in size. The same is true with God. If we look at God through the wrong end of our vision, it reduces what God is doing all around us. We need to keep our eyes pointed in the right direction. Remember that even when we look through the eyepiece, the stars are much larger than they appear. God will be as big as you will allow God to be.
As you are in this season, look around and look for what God is doing and offer a heart felt thanks both to God and those around you that journey with you daily.
What Does The Future Hold?
So many times in life we just move from day to day, and event to event. Our goals and dreams often get lost in daily life. Things we once promised ourselves, get replaced with laundry and lawn work. While these tasks are important, our goals are just as important.
Many of us made promises to ourselves five years ago this month. As the twin towers fell, and fires burned at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, our world changed. As I think back I made promises to myself and to my God. Many of these promises are still a major part of my life; others have been lost to daily existence. I want you to join me during this memorial time to refresh our goals and promises.
Each generation wants to make things better for their children. We focus on their education, and finance as the primary markers of success. These are important, and will make their life easier. My goal five years ago was to add a focus of family and faith to important things for the next generation. So, as you are busy with life's chores, do not forget to pass on your great heritage. Pass on your heritage of facts, finance, family and most important, faith.
Keep On Peddling
Do you remember when you learned how to ride a bicycle? My dad ran along beside me as I struggled to keep my balance. I had to steer, balance, and peddle all at the same time; it was impossible. As a child, I did not know my full potential. My dad knew I was able to succeed but only if I would try. Then came the famous words, “Don’t quit” “Just keep on peddling” It was not long before I was moving along and my dad was standing far behind me, grinning from ear to ear.
That's the way it is with God. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful moments. But, with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be successful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit." "Just keep on peddling." Feel His loving arms move you along. Know that His strong hands are guiding you every day of your life.
Gifts To Start The Day
I do not know how many of you remember the television program "Early Edition". It was a program where a man received the local newspaper one day early. He was able to read about what was going to happen, even before it occurred. Early each day the gift of this newspaper arrived at his doorstep.
If you had a wish, what gift would you like to receive each day? My first thoughts are monetary. It might be fun to find a stack of money on my doorstep each morning. Getting out of bed would have a whole new meaning. Another thought was weather related. I would love to find each day sunny with mild temperatures, perfect for fishing and relaxation. The problem is that never having any rain would dry up all of the lakes and streams. What would you want to receive each and every day?
No matter what you wish for, each of us receives something new each and every day. We all receive the gift of the day itself. Twenty-four hours to create want we want. We can choose to communicate with friends and family or live in total isolation. Each day is a new chapter in lour journey of life. Projects and tasks all have an ending point. This earth's journey will have and eventual end for all of us. Life while we are here is about what we do with each day we are given. All to often I see people that are reflecting on how they spent each day. Many regret some of their choices on how they spent their time. I have never had someone regret friendships, family time, and faith in the Creator of all. So now that you have the gift of today, what are you going to do with it?
Best Prayer I Have Heard In A Long Time...
God, Please help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single parent who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with their children. Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares. Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together. Also remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those that are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us not judge; let us be quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love. Amen
The Eyes Of An Artist
There are a lot of artist’s work associated with most office settings. I see evidence of this everywhere. Most artwork is done in a Crayola® format with an occasional picture created with colored pencils. This artwork is not done for money, but out of love. They are created for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and have a special motivation attached to each masterpiece. One thing they all have in common is the desire for eye-to-eye contact between the creator and recipient; a brief moment of sharing of the heart without words being spoken.
Our eyes carry messages with many different meanings. We share joy, sorrow, hurt and pain all by looking each other in the eyes. The eyes have been the focus of many love poems and songs. It is said also that the eyes are the mirrors to a person’s soul. We look at the world around us with our eyes and choose how large of a world we desire to look upon. We also have the option to keep our heads lowered and look only at the steps our own feet make.
The creators of the artwork are looking for our returned love, and praise. They want you to look at their artwork and see the blob of green, as a tree that they drew with great detail. They want you to see a little of their world through their eyes. The same is true with the world around us. If you truly desire to see the world in a different way, look at it through the eyes of the Creator. God has a masterpiece of creations that we wake to each day. My prayer is to see the world and the people in that world through the eyes of the Creator. I want to see things through the eyes of God. I hope this can be your desire too.
Keep the Fork
One of my favorite things as a child was Sunday lunch at Grandma’s. I could always count on a good meal with lots of love put into its making. A drawback was all the yucky vegetables. Some of the worst were stewed okra and tomatoes, broccoli, and lima beans. It was everything I could do as a small child to choke them down. Grandma never ate with the rest of us. She was always too busy keeping the food bowls full. I found out later she was one to eat as she cooked so she was full by mealtime. The best Sundays were when as she picked up our plates she told us to keep our forks. When you kept your fork, the best was yet to come.
All of us face days when our plates are filled with vegetables. It takes all we have to choke down the current events. The great part is there are also times when we get to keep our forks. Now it may not be grandma’s cobbler, loaded down with ice cream, but it is still just as sweet. Look around - it might be friendships, or a small child, but they are there.
As a closing thought, I now enjoy the vegetables as much as the rest of the meal. And when my time comes, please bury me with a fork, because for me the best is yet to come.
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