My job seems to be that of the listener

Good morning,
I pray the day finds you well.

I am on a field trip to the Dairy Farm today (Chemo).

I have my friends here with me, the usual suspects; they are attached just like me to the poles with the hoses and wires. Bags hanging from the hooks is the norm around here.

We are all here in the various stages of our little fight. We support and love on each other as it can get difficult and tiresome. We love on and support our nurses and doctors as well.

The Dairy Farm is a microcosm of our larger society.

The Dairy Farm society is based on love, respect, honesty, responsibility and service. Hmmm...I have heard this said somewhere else.

At the Dairy Farm we are all too far along in life to worry about pretending. We know that people in our little society are hurting. We know there is sadness. We also know there is hope.

Those that are stronger help those that are weaker.

Those that are feeling better sit with those that aren't

My job seems to be that of the listener. I have the opportunity to be that person who sits and lets people offload their anxiety and concerns.

It is good to have a job at the Dairy Farm.

As I listen to my fellow Dairy Farm peeps I hear a lot of I wishes.

I wish people would love on each other.

I wish society could figure this living together thing out.

I wish people would spend less time fighting and more time talking.

The "I wishes" go on and on.

My "I wish" is that people would see how people on the Farm treat one another.

I am wearing one of my "Y" shirts today, It is our "Transformation Team" shirt. On the back of the shirt it reads, "Teaching a community to truly love its neighbor".

My little Dairy Farm community loves this shirt, it causes a lot of conversation .

Late last night Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor (our CEO) asked how we (the "Y") could support our community during this time of hurt and confusion.

Loving our neighbor in the verb form might help. I know the problems are so big that it will take a lot of loving our neighbor to help but we can do it.

Someday I will tell you about my wife's dad. He was the Executive Director of the YMCA in Mankato, Minnesota. He reconciled the Sioux Nation to Blue Earth County, the city of Mankato and the state of Minnesota.

If he can do that we can love on our neighbor.

If he can reconcile an entire Native American nation we can come alongside a hurting group of people during a terrible time.

I know that this is a big deal, so was that pain in Mankato 60 years ago.


Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor I know we can do this.

Have you heard of the "Truth and Reconciliation Commision? If not look it up.

Here is the link
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Truth-and-Reconciliation-Commission-South-Africa

We can do this. It has been done before.

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

Blessings,
Roger