A stressed, blessed chaplain

Good morning,
I pray the day finds you well.

I didn't sleep well last night.

This is the morning that Chuck and I start our ride. The last year has been a good year. A year filled with joy, challenges, and heartache. My wife's illness was rough.The death of my brother was hard. My mother' bought with cancer was scary. At the same time, watching God do His thing, having people heal, giving them hope, seeing His love in action was something amazing to watch.

I didn't even get to begin packing for the trip until last night. The weeks preceding the trip were very busy. Days that did not end until after 9pm. Yesterday, Laurie's car broke down. I had to get that fixed before I could leave. All this to say that I was a bit stressed. I think Laurie is ready for me to go on my trip. A stressy husband is no fun, or so I am told!

This morning I woke to the thought of God's blessing on my life. He shows this in many different ways.

The love of my wife.

The love of my kids.

The love of my dog.

There are other ways He shows His love for me.

All the amazing volunteers that are feeding hungry kids while I'm gone. Without them I wouldn't be able to leave.

The amazing YMCA staff that spend long hours everyday loving on people. We have a saying at our YMCA, "Teaching a community to truly love its neighbor." The YMCA family truly does this. That is what we do. I am blessed to be part of it.

The chaplaincy board that works tirelessly to help create opportunities for us to be His hands and feet.

I went to bed last night a bit stressed.

This morning I awoke feeling blessed.

I will spend my ride practicing the Ignatius prayer of examan.

We have another saying at our "Y", "It's not the challenge that defines you, it's your response."

I will practice a response of love to this prayer.

To all the staff and volunteers, thank you for all you do. Pray for me on this trip.

I will be praying for you.

Blessings,

Roger