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

Have you ever been in a situation and wondered, "Why am I here?" You know, maybe it's a bad job situation... maybe it's sitting in the Captain's office... maybe you've been assigned a partner whom you would have never personally chosen to work with.

I can remember a time a few years back. I was working as a safety consultant and I was between contracts. No income. Well, about three months into this unemployment period, I met the director of the county 9-1-1 system. He told me, "Come on in, I'll give you a job." Well, I went in and went through all the testing and was hired as a 9-1-1 call-taker... for about eight bucks an hour! I was thinking at the time... "Okay, Lord, why am I here... why do YOU have me doing this." Don't get me wrong, I liked the job. "9-1-1, what is your emergency?" was what I said about about 100 times per shift. I just couldn't figure out why I was there. But, I trusted my REAL CHIEF. I knew that HE knew why I was there.

Well, I got my answer after about three months. I was working with another call-taker. It was a quiet Saturday morning. One advantage of working during a slow shift was that I could take out my Bible, my "Instruction Book For Life," and study. Well, this one particular morning, my partner asked me things like,"What does the Bible say about.... ?" And, to make a great story short, after about twenty minutes, my fellow 9-1-1 worker was crying and asking CHRIST to become his REAL CHIEF! You see... THAT'S why I was there... THAT was HIS purpose for me. Because, a week later, I was given another safety job and went back to consulting. But, I learned two things: there are alot of silly people out there who dial 9-1-1 - AND - our REAL CHIEF has a purpose for me and for you.

The next time you are in a situation and are wondering why you are there... STOP! Have faith. Trust our REAL CHIEF to reveal HIS purpose to you in HIS time, not yours. Patience is a virtue as you serve...

...On HIS Shift,

"Mid-Terms"

March 23rd, 2003

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."

- Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)

I know you have noticed by now that these "weekly" articles are coming to you bi-weekly lately. Sorry. Besides running this ministry full-time, I am now also full time back in EMS. PLUS, I am in EMT-Intermediate school (who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? hehehehe). Oh.... and the class is three full days per week. So, to give you an example... I worked a 24 on Monday... school on Tuesday ... CE class at work on Tuesday night... more school on Wednesday ... Thursday I worked another 24 hour shift... Friday? mid-term exam!!!! WHEW.... then, Saturday, board meeting for the ministry in the morning and perform a wedding in the evening.

Anyway, I got to thinking about school. It has been a tremendous sacrifice... loss of sleep... loss of time with my family... loss of time to write these devotionals.... Well, you get the idea. But, I know that, in the end, I will have not only increased my knowledge, but I will be able to provide a slightly larger paycheck for my family. Also, my patients will benefit, as I will be able to provide some advanced life support measures for them. Too, my partner (who is a Paramedic), will benefit... he won't have to write ALL the ALS reports anymore.

The point is this: keep learning. I specifically want you to keep studying and learning from the Standard Operating Procedures for Life - that's right... the Holy Bible. Our verse this week kinda says it all... if you hang around the smart folks, YOU benefit. Then, those around you benefit... and so on. Remember the old saying, "It's hard to soar with the eagles when you are surrounded by turkeys?"

This verse is also helpful in pointing out the need to finding and becoming a member of a church home... hang out with the wise.

I don't know about you, but I much prefer soaring with the eagles...

...On HIS Shift,

"ROYAL Intervention Team"

March 9th, 2003

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

- John 10:25-30 (NIV)

Let me ask you this… who of you knows the difference between “2 in, 2out” and “Rapid Intervention Team? “2 in, 2 out” is, simply stated; if 2 go in to a fire, 2 must come out. In other words, if your partner on the line leaves, for whatever reason, you must leave, also.

RIT, though, is the establishment of a rescue team.

On the "fireground of life" we have a RIT Team... the ROYAL INTERVENTION TEAM consisting of our GOD... the HOLY TRINITY.... that is, GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON and GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.

First, we know… and must accept as believers that GOD is the FATHER of all things. HE created the heavens and the earth. HE created man and woman. HE created all the birds, all the fish and all the animals that walk, crawl or fly. HE created the night and the day. HE created YOU. HE then came to earth as JESUS CHRIST, SON of GOD, to die for us… to make atonement for our sins. To give each who call on HIS name eternal life. And, thirdly, HE has given believers HIS HOLY SPIRIT to live within us (indwelling, it is called).

46 times, JESUS calls GOD “My FATHER" throughout the gospel.And, JESUS, Himself, states that HE and HIS Father are one. In John 10:25 - Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, [26] but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. [27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one."

Did you also hear the other, important truths in those verses? –

You don’t believe because you are not my sheep
My sheep listen to me… they follow me
I give them eternal life
No one can snatch them out of my hand
I and the FATHER ARE ONE!
If you are inside a structure fire and things go horribly wrong, wouldn’t it be comforting to know that the RIT team was right outside… only a shout away? Now, isn’t it even better to know that you can cry out for the eternal “RIT” team comprised of the HOLY TRINITY? GOD the creator of life, The Holy SPIRIT… there to live within us… to guide us… and… our REAL CHIEF… CHRIST, the SON of GOD who came and paid the price for us?Who gives us eternal life? Who, as the book of Jude says “snatches us from the flames” – the flames of hell.
Call for that RIT team NOW… Ask CHRIST to become your REAL CHIEF… let HIM lead you through the firegrounds of your life.

...On HIS Shift,

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.