urgency

8/18/11 I used to operate in a hyper mode, running from one crisis to the next, loving the adrenaline rush, needing to be needed, the more urgent the better. As I have gotten older, I have realized that is a pretty unhealthy way for me to live. Maybe emergency room personnel need to operate this way, along with 1st responders like fire, police, EMS, etc. But most of life is not lived in urgent mode.

I felt a twinge of my old calling for urgency just a few minutes ago. I had just come from an early hospital visit to see a woman and her family off into surgery. I got back to church because I had 2 appointments lined up in my office. But as I arrived, I learned that a charter member of the church was dying. I wanted to go immediately to be with him and his family, but I had a conflict with 2 standing appointments. I called my associate pastor who was able to go.

One of the appointments was with the Stephen Ministry Leaders. We are putting together a team of caring laypersons who will do a ministry of listening and healing. It is exactly so that we won't always be in an urgent mode.

JC died this morning. I got to sit with his wife for an hour and a half as she waited for the medical school to come pick up his body. There was no sense of urgency.

Love,
Lynn