Space in Between

In the end, it all comes down to what we think about this life here on earth. Isn't that it? We are all looking out the window to see what is coming into view. We are all waiting for ... something. Yesterday in Sunday's class, our group had a discussion related to our continuing series about the difficult questions in our Christian faith. The question we were to discuss was "how important is a belief in the afterlife?" Those of us present, about 12 of us, agreed that we believe in an afterlife-- that is there is a heaven and hell. We didn't really get around to discussing what we think heaven or hell is like, but instead spent our time discussing the impact that this belief has on this life here.
A point that I brought up is that we do not really discuss the "afterlife" or death until we have to (such as terminal illness, or deathbed) and at times, it can be too late as many unresolved issues surface and cannot be dealt with adequately. When these issues do surface, it is the perspective that we have about our death that puts our life in perspective. It is what we think about our death, where we will go, what happens when we die, that impacts the way we live our life. Hence we spend our time here in the Space in Between waiting until the end occurs. Waiting to be in the presence of God, wondering what it is like. But also wondering if it is how we imagine, wondering...
Looking out the window and waiting for something to come. for time to pass and the big event, or any event to occur.
But it is what we think lies at the end of the road that makes the waiting purposeful and with meaning. It is the end result that shapes how we live out the days of our life here in the space between.

You learn something new everyday... but did I want to learn this?

Yesterday I received a referal to see a patient on one of my units. He has a terminal illness and thought he should starting thinking about/make plans for his death. So I'm in his room, I've explained that the nurse called me after their conversation, and we have talked about his life and various issues for about 45 minutes, when he asked "so what are you for?" That was when I had to get blunt. "The nurse said that you were thinking about end of life issues and wanted to make some decisions like a will and such." He responded with "yes. I want my body shipped to [country overseas] when I die. My family over there can't really do it and there is no one here but me. So I figure I should do what I can now." So .. yesterday I learned about how you ship a body from Canada to an international country. I called up a local funeral home, told him that I had an odd request from a patient and wondered how to do this. It's a lot of paperwork really.

Say you die and you want to shipped to England, or Africa or wherever.. you need your birth certificate, the names of your parents, where you were born, where they were born, the name of the cemetery where you will be buried, the name of the funeral home in that country, your passport. You need to have permission from the consulate, (embassy), the town where you wish to be buried. But the main thing that will determine is the fee of the transport.. the airplane. Gas and other fees -- but the interesting thing is that it is cheaper to buy the casket (for burial) in the other country and to have a sealed shipping container for the body. The reason being that airlines charge by dimensions and weight.

Experience of God

This morning, I had to go back to work after the "holiday" and it has been steady. I am often called into interesting situations and some of them challenge my comfort zone, others are my "forte". Today I was paged to see a man who had requested our services. I had no idea why, the nurses did not specify.. so I went to his room and introduced myself. He wanted to go to the chapel but was not allowed to go alone due to his recent heart surgery. He needed someone with him in case something happened.

So we saunter down to the chapel and sit down. There is another person in the chapel praying, so I told him to sit anywhere. I went to the other side of the room for quiet meditation and prayer. After a while, we started to leave but instead sat down at the back of the chapel where he continued his story begun on our walk down to the chapel. He told me that he had started the 12 step program for NA and his journey to this point. I am always awed at the journey of some people. I felt very privileged to hear his story and told him so. He talked about being in contact with his Higher Power and how he came to this realization. And his experience of God, as I call Him. "It's better than any high that drugs can give you. I wish I had discovered this 40 years ago then I wouldn't have had to waste my life as I did."

He described vibrations and sensations attributed to the Higher Power. I told him that he is lucky to experience the presence of God in this way as many people take their relationship with God for granted. (I realize that it could be withdrawal, but the way he described it, I don't think that it was withdrawal. ) He explained that he has had such a warmth and peace spread through out him that he doesn't worry too much about the surgeries and "unknown" future.

I think is a great gift. Not everyone is able to "experience" God working in their lives. Some people experience it but do not know what it is, do not pay attention, and others long for it, seeking others methods to reach God. The irony is that as Mankind searches for God, God reaches out to us in ways that we can't often fathom.

Usually when someone says "the experience of God", the listener assumes conversion experience. This is the first realization of the power of God. Paul/Saul on the road to Damascus experienced God in a dramatic way. But this is not the way everyone meets God. Some people are brought to their knees, while others enter into God's presence through a logical route/thought process. Each experience of God is just as real as the next, because every individual is unique/different, hence the experience and relationship with God will be just as unique. It is when we tell people that their experience of God is false, that we turn people off. One woman I met told me that she had a near death experience, and gained much inner power from it, but was told by a doctor that her experience was a part of a delirium and hence negated.

When we preach AT them, versus talking WITH them. I have heard of so many people (whom I meet in my work, either staff, patients, families) who have a faith or belief in God, but have been so turned off of organized religion/worship. I have been told time and time again that it was a "well meaning person" (my opinion) who tried to guilt them into something, or chastised them for their problems that they had, that in the end, the person left the community of faith. How this affects their experience of God has always been a wonder to me.. I hope it does not paint God in a negative light.

Thought for the Day

This is written on our whiteboard in my office when I came in this morning...

You know you are carrying too many pagers when your pants fall down without undoing them!!

I know the feeling.. I have 6 pagers this morning.

Makes you wonder what life as a chaplain is about eh?