The Quiet Chaplain

Photo by  Andrea De Santis  on  Unsplash A phone call comes at the wrong time. Someone stops by when the schedule is full. A child needs attention. A coworker has a question. A conversation runs longer than expected. The carefully arranged day begins to unravel, and frustration rises quickly. The interruption is rarely the problem. The real problem is that it was not part of our plan. Interruptions can feel like obstacles standing between us and what we believe we are supposed to accomplish. But sometimes, the interruption is the assignment. Scripture Reference: Mark 5:21–34,  Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore.  Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,  pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”  Jesu...

Photo by  Dane Deaner  on  Unsplash Meetings may not feel like holy ground. Sometimes they feel like interruptions to the “real work.” They can be long, unclear, tense, repetitive, or filled with more talking than action. We walk in carrying opinions, deadlines, expectations, frustrations, and sometimes a quiet hope that it will end quickly. But meetings are not just about agendas. They are about people. People with ideas. People with concerns. People with pressure. People who want to be heard. People who may be carrying more than they say out loud. And because meetings involve people, they can become places of faithfulness. Scripture Reference: James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Meetings have a way of revealing us. They reveal whether we are quick to listen or quick to defend. They reveal whether we want understanding or control. They reveal whether we can stay present when...