A year ago hard rains transformed normally quiet Rush Creek in Rushford, Minnesota into a muddy torrent that flooded hundreds of homes. The volunteers are starting to dry up, but there's still work ahead.
5 of us went from church today for 1 day of drywalling. We worked in 2 homes today and we drove past a few we had worked on before this year. It was heartening to see a home we'd hung windows in as a home. There are many still to finish but it was a blessing for us to see some fully restored. The homes that are in need of the most work sit empty a year after the disaster. It made us 5 wonder why its so easy to look past disasters so quickly.
Showing posts with label pastoral care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pastoral care. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Intesity and Faith
I came upon a great post at Law and Gospel that answered a tough question from Dave at Here I Stand
Law and Gospel's story comes from her work as a Chaplain in an ER. She wrote about watching a doctor slowly interact with a family. She wonders why the doctor seemed so slow in coming to speak to the family and ask any questions about what had happened. Was it the racial and cultural barriers that needed to be overcome. Or was it something else; another barrier.
the story got me thinking about the barriers I and others build up as emotional defenses. The past couple weeks have taught me again that intensity is a real part of any life and death situation. People are raw. They don't know what's coming next for the person they love or what to do with themselves. The old question, "Why God" bubbles up deep inside and we have no good answer to offer beyond an answer of faith and trust.
Tonight an ICU doctor came by church for the visitation of a member who died after a week in his care. He sought me out after meeting with the widow and his parents to express his condolences. I'd watched him do everything possible to keep this man alive, and it wasn't enough. He said it was just right to be there after a week of working hoping to keep him alive knowing and telling his family all the long that it "didn't look promising."
I've seen good people build barriers around themselves. I judge they push away people in hard situations in order (unconsciously or consciously) to push off some of the deep emotions that they might otherwise encounter in other people or in themselves.
What do you think?
Law and Gospel's story comes from her work as a Chaplain in an ER. She wrote about watching a doctor slowly interact with a family. She wonders why the doctor seemed so slow in coming to speak to the family and ask any questions about what had happened. Was it the racial and cultural barriers that needed to be overcome. Or was it something else; another barrier.
the story got me thinking about the barriers I and others build up as emotional defenses. The past couple weeks have taught me again that intensity is a real part of any life and death situation. People are raw. They don't know what's coming next for the person they love or what to do with themselves. The old question, "Why God" bubbles up deep inside and we have no good answer to offer beyond an answer of faith and trust.
Tonight an ICU doctor came by church for the visitation of a member who died after a week in his care. He sought me out after meeting with the widow and his parents to express his condolences. I'd watched him do everything possible to keep this man alive, and it wasn't enough. He said it was just right to be there after a week of working hoping to keep him alive knowing and telling his family all the long that it "didn't look promising."
I've seen good people build barriers around themselves. I judge they push away people in hard situations in order (unconsciously or consciously) to push off some of the deep emotions that they might otherwise encounter in other people or in themselves.
What do you think?
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