Chaplain’s Chat
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I
will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand”.
I don’t know how many times I mess things up when I just dive in and try to
take control of things when I’m anxious, impatient, frustrated, and angry or
upset – particularly when I’ve asked the Lord to help.
A famous surgeon received a call one night from a doctor friend who said he
had a young child on the operating table and needed the surgeon’s help in
order to save the child. It was a long drive across town to the hospital, and the
surgeon drove as fast as he could with safety. As he pulled up at a stop sign, a
man wearing a brown leather jacket opened the door and slid in beside him
with his hand in his pocket as though he had a gun. The man was excited,
demanded the surgeon’s car, and obviously was in no mood to discuss it. The
surgeon stood helplessly on the highway as the man in the brown leather
jacket drove away in his car.
By the time the surgeon finally arrived at the hospital, it was too late. The child
had died only moments before. The doctor asked the surgeon to come with
him to meet the child’s father, in the hope that together, they might offer him
words of comfort. As they entered the waiting room, the father came forward
– he was the man in the brown leather jacket.
Often when in distress we become self-absorbed, self-obsessed, egocentric,
and selfish. In an agitated and desperate state, we act in ways that do not
reflect and magnify our good qualities. The decisions we make determine our
destiny. Just as the man’s short-sighted actions resulted in the loss of his
daughter, we too can inadvertently harm, offend and disturb others by our
actions, and so lose integrity and respect for ourselves, and the friendship of
others.
Dear Heavenly Father, help us trust you in all situations and not take control
when we have asked you for help. Give us the strength to stay out of your way,
in Jesus Name. Amen.
Chaplain Ron