"God is too big for one religion." - bumper sticker
One wouldn't ordinarily expect much meaningful theology from a bumper sticker. But, the truth of the one quoted above has stuck with me ever since I saw it a couple weeks ago.
From the moment I was ordained as a Christian minister I have been increasingly impressed with how much religion divides us instead of uniting us in Love. Why is each religion so convinced that they are not only right but that they are the only ones who have a pathway to God's Love?
If every religion thinks that those who believe in other faiths are condemned to hell, then hell must be a terribly crowded place. Isn't it a bit arrogant for any of us to think we are right and everyone else is not only wrong, but sinfully wrong?
As a Christian, I feel lucky to have been introduced to Jesus as my guide to Love. But, ever since I was about seven years old, I have wondered about those elsewhere in the world who never heard of Jesus. Are they to be cursed for their complete innocence? I think not.
One of the challenges for religiously faithful caregivers is the need to truly respect and honor the faith traditions and beliefs of every patient and every fellow caregiver, not just the ones who agree with them. Love, encompasses all, not just Christians or Jews or Muslims. In fact, God's Love calls us to appreciate and respect all pathways that express the holiness of loving others.
Before you condemn me as a heretic, reflect and pray on this idea for awhile. Honoring the beliefs of others does not threaten our own Love. Instead, it should strengthen and expand our understanding, increase our tolerance, and enhance our ability to heal others.
Jesus is the pathway for me. But, I understand that there are other pathways God's Love honors and respects.
It may be wiser and more loving for caregivers to imagine God's Love as living at the center of a wheel. Love's believers travel toward God along different spokes of the wheel. Each pathway that celebrates Love over fear is legitimate and sacred.
The questions is not what religion or denomination we belong to. The only question that matters is whether we live Love.
Healthcare leaders often reflect on what is best for the organization they head. Supervisors evaluate ways to motivate their team. Large organizations review, revise, rethink and constantly restate their vision and mission statements.
What matters most is not group or team decisions. It is your individual choice as a caregiver that counts.
Organizations don't actually make decisions. Neither do teams. It's the individual call that counts.
When an organization of one thousand announces a plan, the plan will go nowhere unless the organization's employees choose to follow. The same is true of a team of one hundred, or ten, or two.
This truth is often overlooked as organizations, countries and entire religions seek direction. They imagine that grand orders will generate compliance from hearts as well as heads.
This is the problem with advancing both loving care and, for that matter, Christianity. The mouth says yes. The heart says no.
We are called to love our enemies. Instead, we hate them. We are called to love the poor. We find ourselves looking down on them. We commit to caring for people regardless of how they look and discover they we are looking at the overweight and the drug addicted with judgment and quiet derision.
The only thing that will awaken Loving behavior is Loving thoughts. It's the hardest thing about Love and it's also the most important.
Living Love requires not just one personal decision but thousands across every day. This is why rituals of prayer followed by practice followed by reflection need to travel through us in a lifelong circle.
It's too bad we'll never be able to do it exactly as we hope. But, what is worse is if we turn away from the challenge to live Love and instead default to a life of bitterness and mediocrity. By choosing to live Love, we have already begun to do so.
The [person] who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor find much fun in life. - Charles Schwab
Toward the end of a forty year career that has included work as a trial lawyer, hospital and healthcare CEO, author, international television host, artist, minister and frequent public speaker, I gradually discovered the best advice to give myself before any performance. In fact, when I give myself this same advice several times a day, performance or not, the days always go better.
What works for me is to tell myself to "have fun." It's only two words, but these words have been life-changing for me.
I understand that caregiving can be very grim, often tear-filled work. In fact, caregiving can be so laced with tragedy and darkness that the above sign can appear as a cruel joke. But, having fun doesn't mean throwing sanity to the wind and ignoring the pain that surrounds us. It means finding ways to inform our moments with fun, laughter and/or play in as many different ways as we can.
Fun is a kind of joy. Isn't joy essential to Love?
Tragedy will arrive in different ways without our asking. There are plenty of signals about how serious we need to be as adults. It takes a conscious choice to awaken fun amid the stress of our work, the occasional drugery of our days, and our many worries and fears.
Think of how the two-word advice to have fun might change some aspects of your life as a caregiver. For example, what do most Americans think when they hear the morning alarm signaling the beginning of the weeks:"Oh no, it's Monday."
Obviously, a Monday will come every seven days. Why ruin every single Monday morning for the rest of your life? Start thinking of how to make Monday fun and joyful.
I've heard hundreds of motivational speeches and given a bunch myself. As a minister, you might think my best advice would be to tell myself to pray. I do that. As a lawyer, you might think I would tell myself to attack and be tough against the opposition. I don't need to tell myself that. As a CEO, the self counsel might be to project leadership. That doesn't help me deal with others.
"Have fun" is the phrase that works for me precisely because of my tendency to take myself too seriously. We need to take our work seriously, not ourselves.
Speeches cause lot of folks tension and anxiety. Tell yourself to have fun before your next worrisome performance and it will transform that experience in a positive way.
How do we have "fun" as caregivers. For me, it doesn't mean I have to tell jokes. Instead, it means taking joy in the task or tasks before us. It means expressing gratitude for the opportunity we have to serve others. And it means looking for opportunities to help others enjoy and honor their interactions.
You might take a try with this phrase to see if it helps your life. Odd as it may seem, I often need to remind myself to use the two magic words. I often paste it to my mirror so I see it first thing in the morning.
How do we live Love? Let fun and joy become a larger part of your life and Love's energy will find an easier path through your heart.
“When I was a boy of
fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man
around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had
learned in seven years.” ~Mark Twain, "Old Times on the Mississippi" Atlantic Monthly, 1874
I love this quote because it reminds me of my own attitude
as a teenager. I was the fifth child born into a family of six children. I was
in a hurry to grow up. I guess, I longed to be accepted into the circle of my older brothers and
sisters.
We lived in the home my father grew up in since he was nine
years of age. Unfortunately, I never met my paternal grandparents. They
both died within 6 months of each other, stricken by cancer in the prime of their
lives. On a visit to Copenhagen, my brother Johnny and I
were surprised to discover that our home mirrored the design of houses in our grandfather’s native Denmark. An evergreen towered high above our two-story house. Mom
told me that years prior this tree was a family Christmas tree. After the holiday,
my grandfather planted it in the yard. In
those days, real candles adorned the Christmas tree glowing magical
shimmers on leaded tinsel.
I remember weekend mornings. Sometimes, my dad heralded breakfast
by blasting John Phillip Sousa music and ringing a big red cowbell with a lyrical-torturous
voice, “rise and shine sugarplums!” Back then, we did not find much humor in
his cajoling us to rouse out of bed.Oh,
but now I look back with sweet appreciation for how he gathered us at table for homemade pineapple muffins warm from the oven. Dad recreated many of
Svea’s (my Swedish grandmother) delicious baked goods. He would experiment over-and-over until he
finally perfected her recipes. Even though I never met my grandparents I realize how much they were a part of the fabric of our lives and I can still feel their love pulsing through my veins.
Although dad was an only child, he was happiest when surrounded by friends. Our home was the hub of much company. Friends sharing in good times
and celebrating the simple pleasures in life. There was music, laughter,
plentiful food and drink, sometimes dancing, always laughter and
the best of times. This, for my father was the true essence of living love. His
friendships with people meant everything to him and he was a real kidder. My
favorite place to be was perched upon his knee.
My dad was 17 when he landed a job with King Feature’s
Syndicate, a newspaper firm in Manhattan,
New
York. As kids, my younger brother Tom
and I
would sometimes accompany dad Saturday mornings to his work place. He
was a
foreman and accountant in the print department. It was interesting to
see
the papers absorbing ink and rapidly spurting out through the machinery of the huge press. After
33 years
of dedicated work, there was a merger and the company closed shop and
moved to Chicago.
Dad was without a job and suddenly it felt as though our world blew
apart.
Dad sat us down to discuss a family move.
He had an entrepreneurial spirit and bought a motel in Southern
Vermont. Only my younger brother Tom, (age13) and I (15)
moved
with my parents. Pat was in nursing
school, Kitty was soon to marry and my older brothers Johnny and Phillip
remained in N.Y. It was a drastic change. Abruptly, I was without half my
family, childhood friends and all that was wonderfully familiar. It was a
difficult transition and you might say I gave my parents a gray hair or
two. I
tested my boundaries and their stamina.
Photo:Mom & Dad on their wedding day My dad, Philip Emil Sorensen, better known as Phil, served
as a medic in the army during World War II. Mom told me that our grandfather
had a connection with a high-ranking officer. This man offered my dad a way out
of serving in the military. Dad responded, “I think I will take my chances with the rest of
the boys.” Mom and dad were married and then he left for overseas for three long
years. Mom revealed that dad was in the Battle
of the Bulge but he never talked about the war.
Story has it, that dad befriended a fellow in his regiment by the name of Richard Imagawa. He affectionately nicknamed him “Smitty.”
At first, Richard did not want anything to do with my dad, but that did not
deter my father in the least. Eventually, they became the best of friends.
After the war, Richard became a renowned and beloved pediatrician here in Southern
CA. That golden thread of friendship is what ultimately drew our family to move to CA.
Photo:Phil, Liz & Lee Sorensen, Dottie & Merril Lawrence
However, after a year without work my parents decided to return to Vermont.
They purchased Lawrence’s Smokehouse
and learned to smoke ham, gourmet cheeses and ran a country store. My dad loved talking with customers and my parents made lots of new friends. Dad only returned
CA once for a visit, so I traveled with my family to see my parents each year. The reality was
that if I were to have a relationship with my father it had to be on his terms.
At 17, I worked evenings at the Brattleboro Retreat as a
psychiatric technician. It was my first healthcare job. Dad would drive me to work.
I remember his attempts to make conversation with me, but my responses were uncharitably
one-syllable answers. These days I find myself in a similar situation with my
younger son, John (21). Although I adore him, sometimes my overtures at conversation are received as an annoyance by him.
I remember overhearing my dad telling a friend once, “Lizzy is 17
going on 35!” Funny, but it was not until I became a parent myself that I began
to realize all that my parents sacrificed for my benefit. "Oh, so this is what
it must have been like for them"….with a new found appreciation. I look back at
the bittersweet moments of our precious time together with fond memories
and gratitude. I wonder if someday it will be that way for my kids too …
For all you fathers out there, wishing you a day of peace
and contentment, knowing that we are all just doing our best!
A Father's Day Prayer
Let us praise those fathers who have striven to balance the demands of work,
marriage, and children with an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. Let
us praise those fathers who, lacking a good model for a father, have worked to
become a good father.
Let us praise those fathers who by their own account were not always there for
their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love
and support. Let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect
and hostility of their children.
Let us praise those fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their
children's lives. Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted, and
whose love and support has offered healing.
Let us praise those fathers who, as stepfathers, freely choose the obligation
of fatherhood and earned their step-children’s love and respect. Let us praise
those fathers who have lost a child to death, and continue to hold the child in
their heart.
Let us praise those men who have no children, but cherish the next generation
as if they were their own.
Let us praise those men who have "fathered" us in their role as
mentors and guides.
Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers; may they openly
delight in their children.
And let us praise those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and
whose love continues to nurture us
By ~Kurt Loadman
I heard this music on
Pandoraradio.com and experienced the beauty of this song without understanding
the words. I searched You Tube and I discovered this video that I wish to share
with you.Oh, beloved fathers!
I am hopeful that you be inspired to tell your stories and share remembrances on this Father’s Day weekend.
The image, below, shows the Atlantic approaching a Florida shore. I made it with a special panorama camera. Does it bring you, as a caregiver, a sense of peace? For some, pictures of the sea are restful. For others, they may evoke nightmares.
One patient may love classical music. Another may find hard rock or rap music more relaxing. One patient may enjoy quiet voices and silence. A second might feel lonely and prefer as much interaction as possible.
The best caregivers recognize the need to adapt to patient tastes in the same way they seek the correct medicine depending on the physiological profile of that patient.
In 1977, during my first year as CEO of a hospital, I decided patient rooms needed decoration that would be more likely to promote healing than would blank walls. We acquired some lovely images of nature and began putting them up in selected patient rooms. This would certainly help, right?
One of the first pictures we put up I picked myself. It was a copy of a famous Ansel Adams print showing a view of Yosemite. Two clouds puffed out the sky. The sun dazzled peaks, illuminated a waterfall and cast stunning shadows across a vast valley.
Soon, a patient was admitted to the room. Not long after, I received a complaint passed along by a nurse manager: The patient wanted the photograph removed. The two clouds, she said, made her feel depressed.
After that, we got an "art cart" so patients could pick pictures that were appealing to them. Living Love means considering what is healing for the patient, not what pleases us.
Two things seem important to me about differences in taste. First, a key element of self care includes our personal ability to call to mind music, pictures, religious symbols or other thoughts that contribute to our sense of peace. We need to engage these images as part of our own healing.
Second, caregivers can exert an enormous influence over the environment of patients. Illness and injury create deep vulnerability for each of us. We need to recognize and respect the impact of light, sound, smell, taste and touch on the wide variety of sick people for whom we care.
Every so often, during the years I was privileged to lead Nashville's largest hospital, I would encounter a nurse or other caregiver who decided that it was part of her job to convert a "non-believer" to Christianity. It was these times that we took the chance to explain the fine but important difference between living Love and trying to force a vulnerable patient to see it our way.
We are all blessed with the opportunity to engage images of Love and peace in our lives to help us deal with the suffering we know is always present. Every time we, as caregivers, awaken beauty in ourselves and in the hearts of others we spread Love. When we live Love, we live healing.
“In Native American culture, a hummingbird symbolizes timeless joy and the
Nectar of Life. It's a symbol for accomplishing that which seems impossible and
will teach you how to find the miracle of joyful living from your own life
circumstances They are really spectacular birds, and have a lot to teach a
person about self-discovery and healing.” ~Ted Andrews
Did you ever want something in your life and then suddenly
you begin to see the object of your desire wherever you look? I had that
experience when I was in my 20’s and I was hoping to become pregnant. Suddenly,
wherever I went I saw pregnant women, it amazed me.
Most recently, I am having a similar experience, only with
hummingbirds. One day my husband Woody declared, “There is a hummingbird nest
in the avocado tree.”That was the
beginning. Then, friend Bonnie Callahan posted Phoebe’s web cam a phenomenal website
that hosted a live video of a hummingbird named Phoebe and her chicks Hoku and
Hope. People from around the world watched the miracle of life unfold in these
two baby fledglings.
Hummingbirds, hummingbirds, I see hummingbirds everywhere. Last
week a pair of hummingbirds danced outside the second story of my office window
for about a minute before darting back into the green camouflage of trees. It was magical.
We call the hummer who has taken residence in our yard, Alice.
Her chicks Jade and Amber are names reflective of their colorful
feathers. We watch in fascination discovering little hummingbird nuances. Alice
is quite stern towards Woody because she doesn’t appreciate that he frequents
her backyard. Fearlessly, she approaches him darting back and forth as she scolds
him. She tells him, in no uncertain terms, that he is not welcome and to go
away. Woody hangs his head low and sheepishly retreats into the house.
I watch Alice from
the window. She has a favorite twig in the shade of the orange tree where she
perches to guard her little ones. Alice’s
chirping sounds like a Geiger counter. The clicking sound she makes accelerates
when one draws near signaling her distress over perceived danger.
Mother hummingbirds are very protective of and committed to caring
for their young. Feeding her chicks is a full time job. She looks back and forth scouting for threats
before she dips her long beak into the babies’ mouth offering regurgitated nectar and protein from insects as nourishment. Each
time she returns to the nest her wings sound like mini jet propeller. How
precious, when she cuddles her young by affectionately rubbing her head gently
on her chicks’ neck feathers.
After about 21 days, the
chicks are ready to leave their nest. For a few days before leaving the nest, they
practice balancing and spreading their wings on the nest’s rim until they finally muster the courage to take a plunge and fly free.
For a few days afterward, mom will continue to feed her chicks and show them
where to find all the good flower spots to eat at until they are on their
own.
Hummingbird
facts from the Internet: The average lifespan of a hummingbird is five years but they can live
for more than ten years. They are the
smallest species of birds in the world, native to the Americas.
They are very smart creatures and can remember all the flowers they visited and
know just how long it takes a flower to refill. On average, a hummingbird will
visit 1000 flowers per day for nectar and needs to eat about seven times per
hour. A hummingbird’s wings beat about 70 times per
second and up to 200 times per second when diving. They are the only birds that
can fly both forward and backwards and can also hover in mid-air, fly sideways
and even upside-down and can rotate their wings in a full circle. A hummingbird
can fly an average of 25-30 miles per hour and can dive up to 60 miles per hour.A hummingbird's heart beats up
to 1,260 times per minute in flight and 250 times per minute at rest. She will
take about 250 breaths per minute while at rest and has a metabolism that is
roughly 100 times that of an elephant. Hummingbirds have very weak feet and can
barely walk. They prefer to fly and like to perch. When hummingbirds sleep at
night, they go into a hibernation-like state called torpor.Some hummingbirds migrate and will travel over 2,000 miles twice a year.
~liz Sorensen Wessel
Hummingbird
Only a glimpse
at shimmering speed.
a presence so grand
stunning indeed.
a sign of great love . . . the hummingbird
More than anyone else, caregivers know birth and death. Called to the bedside, they live present to agony, joy, & sacred longing for healing that often eludes.
As my grandson travels his postpartum path, I await the chance to travel to Boston & his presence. Meanwhile, I miss precious first days & weeks living instead on photographs & sweet-told stories.
Look at the difference in him already - from minutes old, reaching for Love in his world - to two weeks.ag
Longing is a price of Love. I wrote something to him that I hope will help will ease the private pain of your own unmet desires:
In Another Country
.
In last light, cardinals & wrens evensong each other home to night’s nest.
.
Only the mockingbird remains.
.
You live in another country. Mountains, the layers of cities, the long span of age, the worries of others all separate you from me.
.
Clear as I speak, you cannot hear me. Hard as you cry, I cannot feed you. Hard as I cry you cannot hear my need for you.
Do you miss the comfort of your mother’s within, the whisper of voices, the muffled bells of love?
.
New to the world, you test earth’s air with fresh arms, strong legs, the power of your lungs.
.
You live in another country. Mountains, the layered walls of cities, the long span of age, the worries of others all separate you from me.
We share a single strand. It weaves through your blood with other threads that tint your skin, texture your bones, focus the color of your eyes, signal our lifelong bond.
.
We are blood brothers.
.
From another country, my father wants to know you. His father wants to know you.
These men greet you through ether’s blood. I want to hold you amid the sinew of this world.
.
How do you hear the colors of the day? What flows through your hands & into your heart when you find your mother’s skin, your father’s arms, the curious touch of your sister’s fingers, or hear your grandmother’s sighs?
.
When will I see the curve of your shoulders, the dark of your eyes & feel the silk of your hair?
When will I hear the timbre of your voice & feel the heft of your body as it claims its part of the world?
.
I tire of longing. I am done with the absence of ecstasy.
.
Son of my daughter, grandson of my wife, child of the earth, I reach, now, across the mountains, the cities, the distance of our ages. I raise you to the clouds, read the raw, unlived chapters of your life.
.
May I see you before I leave?
May I hear your voice before you begin to sort out the world’s words?
Every June 7 marks another anniversary for the Journal. This is our fourth.
Of all the more than one thousand messages we have written to caregivers, self-care is the most important. Without good care of the self, it impossible to give the best healing to others with any consistency.
Consistency may not be an exciting subject. But, consistent loving care is exactly what all patients need.
The number one obstacle to self care is not time. It is the well-meaning, but misplaced decision by many caregivers to choose other priorities ahead of self care and to place themselves last.
A second obstacle can be unwise choices. There's nothing inherently wrong with collapsing on the couch in front of the T.V. with a bowl of popcorn. But, if this is the only self-care you are doing, you will soon discover an exhausted soul as well as a burned out attitude.
Burn out doesn't just mean fatigue. It means loss of interest in the job. Work becomes a task instead of a calling.
Patients need our best.
How do the wisest caregivers look after themselves?
First, they make self care a priority.
Second, they pick out activities that are nurturing to body and mind as well as spirit. These choices will vary among caregivers. The key is to find the things that work best for you and that are appealing enough so that you'll do them.
Third, wise caregivers establish boundaries that will protect the time reserved for self-care. Treating self-care as a ritual, not just an occasional thing, is crucial.
Finally, good self-care requires letting go of excuses. Healthy caregivers pick their best self care choices and live them.
We know the self-care that works for us. The key is motivation.
One of the single best, and easiest, forms of self care is a thirty minute walk every day (no exceptions.) If walking seems boring, find a friend to join you, or listen to music or just to the world of your thoughts. Above all, find a way to make your daily walk fun. Eliminate all excuses and do it.
Prodding often doesn't help much. Instead, on the fourth anniversary of the Journal, I invite you to remember the happiest truth there is: You are loved. Let this Love flow into a spirit and body that are rested and cared for and your energy will reach as high as it can go.
There are ways to make self care fun & fulfilling. Have you found those ways? Are you living them?
"I am not bound for any public place, but for ground of my own where I have planted vines and orchard trees, and in the heat of the day climbed up into the healing shadow of the woods." ~Wendell Berry
This past winter, I got into a ridiculous argument with my younger brother (aren't they always ridiculous?) Instead of letting go, instead of letting God's Love inform me, I continued to nurture this anger, to self-justify my position and why I was right. I forgot the images of my brother and I as little guys (like the boys in the photo) and all of our family memories. All I could see, at the moment, was my brother become my temporary enemy. How silly - especially at my age!
Needless to say, my own foolishness temporarily sent a droplet of poison into our sibling relationship. Eventually, I listened to Love, sent an apology, followed it with a few loving gestures, and the relationship seems restored. Yet, a small scar may also have formed.
Why did I engage my puny self-interest instead of looking to God? My dear friend, Tracy Wimberly, says that when this happens, it is because we forget. Her view is generous.
Imagine if we let God's Love inform all our relationships. After all, our sense of well being turns so often on the balance we maintain with others and with the world.
Consider the many relationships in your life - as a caregiver and beyond. In each case, consider not only the circles in which you live, but what happens if you lose contact with these circles:
WORK CIRCLE: There are the four relationships: You to your patient; you to your team members; you to your leader; you to yourself and God. Imagine how often anger and irritation inform these relationships. Imagine how the engagement of God's Love would help. What if we suddenly cast out of this circle by termination or other departure? How would we continue to value the circle of which we have been a part?
FAMILY CIRCLE: It seems like the phrase "dysfunctional family" has now been around for a long time. Pretty much everyone I know has some level of dysfunction somewhere in their family circle. We can choose to dwell on the trouble. What if we let God's Love inform us? How would this change our eyes? What if our family was suddenly struck with loss - a death, a divorce, a family feud? Imagine how God's Love could help heal family rifts.
FRIENDS CIRCLE: How many close friends do you have, friends with whom you can share Love? This is not a judgment, it is simply another inquiry to see how much we are letting Love inform our interactions with those we have come to care about. Periodically, friendships, like family relationships, are strained. Losing friends is harder, sustaining friendship, even when we feel wronged, brings Love's rewards.
STRANGERS CIRCLE: Are they really any strangers in the daily circles through which you move? God's Love tells us that the angry guy in the other car is our brother. The homeless woman is our sister. The store clerk is half a step from becoming a friend.
THE OUTER WORLD: How do we relate to nature? For caregivers living in fluorescent hallways and patient rooms, when is the last time you went beyond the parking lot at work, stopped at a local park, and spent twenty minutes walking through nature? How are we using our senses, our minds, and our hearts to appreciate the enormous riches of the art that is easily available if we will only look, listen, feel the great gifts of the great artists? How do we engage games? Does God's Love tell us it's that important if our team wins, or that the enjoyment of the game brings its own passion?
THE CIRCLE OF YOU WITH YOURSELF AND GOD: When we turn our backs on God's Love, we are turning away from the best energy the world has to offer. God never turns away. But, often we turn our backs on God's Love. When we do this, we are turning our backs on ourselves. Self-hatred is the most punishing of all conditions. Self-love, informed by God, is the energy from which all other light is released.
SHUNNING FROM A CIRCLE: I have written often about shunning. It is the great pain of relationships that we can sometimes find ourselves, often suddenly, torn away from a circle that has mattered to us. We discover ourselves out in the cold, looking through a window at a group where we are no longer accepted. I see this in stark reality when I spend time ministering to prisoners, some of whom are shunned all the way into the punishment solitary confinement.
When new management took over Baptist Hospital, I was fired from my position as CEO. Once outside, I heard myself criticizing new leaders for focusing too much on profit and not enough on healing mission. Not surprisingly, I found myself as an outcast.
When I visited the hospital first line staff members continued to express Love and caring. They knew how much I cared for them and consistently expressed the wish that I was still with them.
On the other hand, I was suddenly unwelcome at every level of management. Some staff I had previously led were told not to communicate with me. I found out later that the new leadership felt so threatened by my presence (as a somewhat "popular" former leader) that they actually asked security to inform them whenever I entered the hospital. The culture I once led and in which I was welcomed warmly now shunned me as if I was an enemy.
How could I let God's Love inform my attitude? I forgot this lesson for awhile and nurtured resentment. Finally, one day, I realized how foolish this was. If I acted out of self interest instead of Love, I would harbor feelings of hurt. Obviously, if others were not informed by Love, they were certain to act out of self-interest rather than caring and respect.
It is so difficult to remember how available Love is and how powerful her presence can be. But Love's can do nothing if we block it with self-interest.
So today is a chance to look at our relationships through the eyes of Love. Today, and everyday, we can let go and let Love guide us into fields of light.
-Rev. Erie Chapman
Erie Chapman, Editor, Liz Wessel, R.N., M.S. Associate Editor
