Stress Relief - A Weekly Article from the Fire & EMS Chaplain

Think about it... what is absolutely the worst thing you have heard on your radio? Me? The worst thing is hearing this; "All units enroute to the structure fire, we have reports of people trapped." Your adrenaline pumps a little faster. Your foot presses a little harder on the pedal. A thousand things run through your mind at once... where do I look first? .... is it going to be someone I can save? ....or, worse yet, is it going to be another victim of a fiery end?

Then, yes then, comes one of the best sounds from the radio: "Primary search is complete, we have an 'all clear'!" WHEW! What a relief! Blood pressure goes down a little... your whole mindset returns to "normal" fire mode.

Just think... 2000 years ago today, two of our REAL CHIEF's followers entered a structure expecting to find a body. But, to their amazement, there was no body there. And yes, a secondary search was performed - "Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves..." (Luke 24:12) "Secondary search complete... we have an all clear!" However, notice in these two Biblical "searches" that there is no relief in finding an empty structure... rather, they were amazed.

You see, to those of us who serve our REAL CHIEF, our whole belief has it's foundations in the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. And today, Easter, is the celebration of our Living Lord's ascension into Heaven.

We rejoice in an "all clear" on the tomb of Jesus...

...On HIS Shift,

HAPPY EASTER.... it is NOT about eggs!

"Keeping Watch"

March 24, 2002

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

- Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

I have to tell you about a great time I had this past week. Thursday and Friday, NYC Paramedic Lori Beninson, FDNY firefighter Chris Mullin and yours truly were flown to Johnson City, Tennessee as "guests of honor" to help dedicate a new community center and a memorial flagpole (dedicated to the fallen at the WTC). I need to say THANK YOU to the mayor and the citizens of Johnson City and to all who showed up at the various events we attended. The mayor graciously presented us with keys to city! We also need to acknowledge and thank Maurice Royster and Beth Anderson who worked so diligently to pull the thing off. We all truly feel we have new family!

Our two days were packed with excitement; we went to a press conference and were interviewed for TV and the newspaper. We spoke that evening in front of about 3-400 people. We went to a breakfast hosted by the EMS. We went to a luncheon and met several citizens and public servants from the police, fire, EMS and 9-1-1 center. And, again, we all three spoke...

We spoke about our personal and corporate experiences at Ground Zero. We spoke about walking through the "valley of the shadow of death" and surviving, thanks to the protection of our REAL CHIEF. We also spoke about being watchful...

Watchful for what? In this case, we reminded everyone of the importance of never becoming complacent again... of never letting our guard down. For too long, we, as a nation, felt like we were invulnerable. But, you know, Cindy and I watched the movie "Pearl Harbor" last night. We weren't watchful back then either. And, we suffered for it. How many had to die back then to make us realize that we need to be prayerful and watchful? And now, again, we have had to endure another dreadful reminder.

Our verse this week reminds us to do three things;

Be in prayer
Be watchful
Be thankful

Our message in Tennessee and to you now is this: Pray for peace, for strength, for hope and for our REAL CHIEF to walk with you through this valley. Be thankful for our REAL CHIEF who has given us a strong President and be thankful for our military, our police, our paramedics and our firefighters who are out there fighting as we read this. And finally, be watchful - don't ever again become complacent. Do these three things and you will serve powerfully...

...On HIS Shift,

"Tripping On The Ladder"

March 17, 2002

"It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall."

- Romans 14:21 (NIV)

Have you ever been on the scene of a working fire? Hundreds of feet of hoseline... sometimes, electrical cord... pike poles, axes, haligan tools and yes, even ladders sometime left laying around.

We are used to working in a less-than-ideal environment and still manage to perform the functions we were trained for. We usually can make it through an entire incident without tripping over one of our own pieces of equipment. But, I want you to think about this for a minute; would you ever, intentionally, through down a ladder (or anything else for that matter) with the intent of making one of your fellow firefighters trip and fall? I seriously doubt it.

Consider this: suppose you have a beer (knowing that is the only one you will have in a month- because you just don't drink much) and you do it in front of someone who doesn't drink at all. That person says to themselves, "Hmmm, if it's okay for So-and-So to drink, it must be okay for me to have a few." It happens. Sure, that wasn't your intent, but it happens.

One of the biggest excuses I hear from people is that they won't go to church because of "all the hypocrites at church." You see, to an "outsider" looking in, they see someone who sits in a bar on a Saturday night and goes to church on Sunday morning. They don't know (and don't care) that it was your first time in a bar in three years.

What are verse instructs us this week is simple - when your brother walks by, don't stick out your foot to trip him. In fact, pull your feet in. In other words, don't cause someone else to stumble - don't be someone else's' excuse for not following our REAL CHIEF. Keep things "picked up" so others won't trip and fall while serving...

...On HIS Shift,

"Safety Officer"

March 10, 2002

"The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety."

- Job 5:11 (NIV)

With great sadness, I announce to you the passing of Max Cullum, Fire Chief of the City of Humble, Texas. Max died yesterday, Saturday, March 9th in hospice care at a local hospital. Max started with the department as a volunteer. He was diagnosed with cancer just last November. The good news in his death? - Max followed our REAL CHIEF. Max told me on two occasions during the last few months that none of this had shaken his faith.

Just like a Safety Officer, Max's concerns were always for others. The last time he was able to say anything to me was on Wednesday. The words he uttered? - "How are you doing, Skip?" Typical. There he lay, in hospice care, no IVs, no oral intake for several days. It took every ounce of strength and breath for him to ask me how I was.

Someone asked me this morning at church, "How do you keep from getting depressed?" Sometimes, I can't help but get depressed. Just about every callout for a Chaplain involves death... and usually it is a violent death.

This time, though, it is a bittersweet feeling and not depression. I am sad to lose a brother in the service, but I am joyous as Max begins his new life in the presence of our REAL CHIEF.

You see, it is all right to mourn our losses. Our REAL CHIEF assumes the role of our SAFETY OFFICER, who watches over us in such times and HE "lifts us to safety."

As we go through life, those of us in the business are faced with the realities of death on almost a daily basis. In such times, call upon your SAFETY OFFICER - our REAL CHIEF - to lift you to safety as you serve...

...On HIS Shift,

"The Busy Shift - One Run After Another"

March 4, 2002

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

- Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

I am now the Chaplain for the Harris County E.S.D. #1 (Emergency Services District) EMS. I rode out with them one day last week. In a span of about two and one-half hours, we answered five calls. You know that kind of shift, right? One run after another. It was one of those days where you hear the dispatcher, "District 90, your ETA to clear?" You answer, "District 90, show us in service." "Received, District 90, I need you to respond to..." and off you go again.

You wonder why so many people are in need at the same point in time in your little part of the world. If you have been in the business for a while, it can add to your stress, especially if the calls are for "routine" sick calls where the "patients" could seemingly beat you back out to the ambulance.

Well, our REAL CHIEF wants to remind you, via the verse for this week, that HE intends it for good! Why? The verse says, now get this... for "the saving of many lives." Is that cool or what?

Joseph was the guy making the quote. He was talking to his brothers, who had sold him into slavery into Egypt. That, Joseph explains, was all part of God's plan. Once Joseph was there, he eventually became second only to Pharaoh and was placed in charge of all of the food distribution in the country. You see, if Joseph hadn't been there, thousands might have died of famine.

So, when you are having "one of those shifts," keep in mind that our REAL CHIEF is still in charge and HE has plans for you to save many lives as you serve...

...On HIS Shift,

NOTE: Well, I apparently hit some nerves with the Stress Relief article last week. I say that because five people asked to be removed from the email list. In that article ("Why We Need The Chief"- see February Archive), I stressed the importance of inviting our REAL CHIEF to take control of your life. I won't apologize that I suggested that. I believe it and I want each of you to know that your REAL CHIEF loves you and wants to be the Supreme Incident Commander of your life.

It is my prayer that the verses we discuss help each of you as it has helped me deal with the amount of stress we are all faced to deal with.

If you are not yet saved, I have Good News for you. Jesus loves you very much and His Holy Spirit is drawing you to Him. To learn more, click here.

STRESS RELIEF is written every week, usually on Sunday afternoons.