It's a Brother Lawrence thing

Good Morning,
I pray the day finds you well.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
(Romans 12:15)

I opened up my daily verse and Romans 12:15 was it, this verse is the lifeblood of chaplaincy. So often I sit with people who are going through a tough time.

They would tell me their troubles.
They would tell me their pain.

I spent most my time listening and sitting with them in the midst of their grief.
I would do a lot of listening.
I would do a lot of sitting with people.

I have been doing a lot of practicing the presence of God, it is a Brother Lawrence thing.

We hit a pandemic milestone yesterday, over 100,000 people had died to this virus.

I received a lot of calls, mostly do to anxiety, over this mile-mark. I would sit and listen to people's concerns and worries; there really wasn't anything I could do for them, just sit and listen, be with them. I took a call from one of our readers. She lives in a group home, has cancer and no money. The cancer treatments took all her money.

The virus has reached her group home. She is frightened.

I sat with her, not really saying anything, just listening and being.

She recounted her life, she is at the end stage. She mourned over her life as she did not expect it to turn out this way.

I mourned with her.

Every so often I would pick up on something she said and tell a funny story of something that happened to me in my life. This would make her laugh.

We would laugh together.

At the end of our time together I told her that I was only a call away.

After our time together had ended God reminded me that He is only a call away.

He reminded me that He practices the presence too.

Often times He just sits and listens; sitting with people in their grief.

I was reminded that God was a chaplain a long time before I was.

While there wasn't any real rejoicing going on with the lady on the phone, a little laughter maybe, no real rejoicing though. I pray that I was a blessing to her.

We hit a pandemic milestone yesterday, over 100,000 people had died to this virus.

We are going to need a lot more people willing to sit with those that mourn. I know that someday we will be able to rejoice, but for now it seems as if listening and being is what they need.

I know our "Y" is working on this issue. Will you help us help others?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,
Roger