STRESS RELIEF for Firefighters & Paramedics from Chaplain Skip

"...the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth."

Today is Halloween. Seems harmless enough, huh? I mean, all those cute little kids dressed up as angels and Barbies and ballerinas. That's has to be okay, doesn't it? After all, it is just a day where all the kids get candy handed to them by the ton, right?

No, unfortunately, it has evolved into a celebration of evil, of darkness... trick or treat. Just the term says, "Give me some candy or I will do something to you... something evil."

It is a night full of kids, now, seemingly, older and older teens, who reserve the night to dress up as witches, dead bodies and satanic beings. Yes, this night, they feel, is a celebration of evil.

We see enough evil every day on our jobs. Think about how many sexual assaults and domestic assaults you have responded to just in the last month. Just last shift, we were called to a multiple shooting... evil breeding evil. The victim we treated was hit by shotgun blasts. We have seen the "masks" of evil on the faces of those who have felt the effects of evil - full force.

Tonight, instead of dressing the kids up as miniature devils and Freddy Krugers, teach them something about celebrating life, instead of death. They can still wear costumes, I suppose, but let those costumes be angels and firefighters and, well, good things. Take them to the local church for the annual Harvest Festivals that are going on. They can still get their candy.

At your own home, you are going to be gone with the kids to the church, so leave your porch light on... but, you might want to leave a bowl of candy with a sign on it that reads, "Take some candy if you like, compliments of the only ghost that lives here... THE HOLY GHOST."

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Just curious... do you know the feeling of crawling down the hallway of a burning building? Do you remember what it is like to push forward, into the unknown, as you and your team advance on the seat of the fire? And, do you remember the feeling as you walked outside after having knocked down your fiery foe?

Or, if you are in EMS... do you know the feeling of walking into a dark, four-room house at three in the morning? Do you remember what it was like finding the young teenager, pulseless, after she had taken an overdose? And, do you remember the feeling when you hear, "Hey, we've got a pulse!" after having performed CPR?

Both great scenarios, eh? Nothing like it, is there? If you are reading this and you are not "in the business", there is no way to describe to you the total elation we feel after accomplishing something like I have just described.

Our verse this week reminds us that we are more than conquerors through our REAL CHIEF! More than conquerors? More than winners? YES!!! Our REAL CHIEF reminds us that absolutely nothing can separate us from HIS love.... not trouble, not danger, not fire, not full arrests... NOTHING!

I don't know about you, but I love getting a knockdown or a save. I love the rush! But, you know what I love even more? You got it... I love being more than a winner when I serve others with the love given to me by our REAL CHIEF.

" For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Our verse this week is one of the most mis-quoted verses of the BIBLE. You have probably heard it, all your life, as "Money is the root of all evil." Not true. That's not what the BIBLE says. Read it carefully... it is the LOVE of money that is the root of ALL KINDS of evil.

You see, it is not money, in and of itself, that is the evil... it is the love of money.

We have very different jobs than most people, don't we? I think, though, that is a trade-off, of sorts. We work on a few days a month, but, we do our jobs for very little financial reward, don't we? One of the results of this is that most of us work another job (or two), just to "make ends meet." It's a shame. Why? Because it is another trade-off... we sacrifice time with our family and loved ones.

So many of the people I work with have fallen into the trap - "I 'need' extra money because I just bought a new truck." or "I 'need' the extra job so we can afford the new house." Do you see the trap? How about putting off buying the new truck or the new house for a while? Don't ever forget what a friend once wrote Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator decided not to run for reelection because he'd been diagnosed with cancer: "No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office." (Or, in our case, "I wish I had spent more time at the station and on my two extra jobs.")

The love of money becomes overpowering in a lot of people's life. Our verse this week is a warning... that love for money can actually destroy your personal faith in our REAL CHIEF and can lead you astray. JESUS, Himself, said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."

Now, I'm not saying that you should stop trying to provide for your family. Not at all. What I am saying is to try to limit your spending... learn how to budget. Don't let the love of money cause you to separate yourself from your family... or from your faith.

Remember this, we don't make much, but we are so rich... we are loved by the CREATOR of the universe... a REAL CHIEF who loved us so much that HE gave up HIS SON so that we may serve...

"Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.""

Once per month, on the second Sunday of each of month, I have the privilege and honor of preaching GOD's Word at a local firehouse.

It is somewhat unique, inasmuch as I preach the BIBLE (The "Stand Operating Procedure for Life") using firefighting and emergency medical service terminology. My "congregation" are firefighters, paramedics and their families. Almost everyone shows up wearing blue jeans and their department t-shirts. And, we now have a "fulltime" music team who leads our worship.

I have preached on such topics as; CPR, Protective Gear, Incident Command and the like.

At the end of each lesson, I ask all the people there, if they have never done so, to pray a simple prayer of salvation... to submit to and to ask CHRIST to become their REAL CHIEF.

After today's lesson, I sat down with a young couple for pre-marital counseling, as I will be performing their wedding next week.

The bride-to-be told me, through tears and smiles, that during the prayer time at the end of my service, that she had prayed that prayer of salvation for the very first time in her life!!! So, not only will I be uniting two Christians in marriage next week, in two more weeks, I will be baptizing Tanya as a new believer. Talk about a party invitation.

It's a party, because today marks the start of Tanya's new life in CHRIST. Our REAL CHIEF has promised her new life in eternity with HIM. By asking HIM into her life, she has changed her life... forever!

I pray that each one of you that reads this has already asked CHRIST to be the REAL CHIEF of your life. If you haven't, pray this prayer right now, "Lord JESUS, I need you. I admit my wrongs and ask for Your forgiveness. Please come into my life as my REAL CHIEF."

If you prayed that prayer from your heart, the BIBLE says that you have been "born again." YOU are a new believer.

If you just prayed that prayer, won't you write and tell me, so that I can celebrate with you?

As I sit and write this, I am floating on a cloud. Seeing a new believer come to CHRIST is the greatest feeling one can experience. Yes, another soul has joined the family that is serving...

This week's article is coming to you on Monday, instead of Sunday, as is the norm. The reason is that I flew home from out of town and got home at about 9:00 PM last night and I was slightly exhausted. But, it was a "good" exhaustion... ya know? You see, I had just returned from the National Fallen Firefighter's Memorial Weekend at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

I went up on Friday as the invited escort for the Staley family. Gary Staley, as you may recall, was killed in the line of duty last year while fighting a commercial structure fire. The chief of the department and I made the notification to Gary's parents and his daughter that horrible day in January of last year. But, something good... no, wait, something "great" came of that day.... The Staleys have become family to my wife and I. And, as you read on, you will see that the feelings are apparently mutual.

When we arrived at the registration site, I learned that the Staleys had registered me as an "Extended Family" member... not just as an "escort." At the Candlelight service on Saturday evening, only family members were to go up and light the luminaries. As the Staleys name was called, Ruby told me to "come on." I told her that this was for them. Her reply? "You are a part of our family - we insist."

The next day, at the actual memorial service, one of the speakers talked about how we, in the fire service, are really one family. And, it is true. Also honored was my friend, Charlie Flowers. Charlie and his wife, Betty, were strong supporters (and Betty still is) of this ministry. You might remember that Charlie died this past December as a result of an AMI suffered on duty.

The Memorial Service was awesome. There were almost 1000 honor guard members from all over the country. There was a huge pipe and drum corp. There were flag and rose presentations.

More importantly, though, to me was the time being able to reflect on Gary (and Charlie's) life and service to his community. And, not just as his Chaplain. But, now, as a new member of his family.

Don, Ruby, Matthew and Courtney - I can never thank you enough for you opening your arms to me and "adopting" me. You are very, very special people, as was Gary. I am proud to be serving along side you...

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.

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The folks at the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation can also help if you have been involved in a Critical Incident.

If you are in the Greater Houston, Texas area, BLUEBONNET CISM team will respond at your department's request.

Chaplain Skip writes STRESS RELIEF every week, usually on Sunday afternoon. STRESS RELIEF was distributed, via email by request, to 575 readers this week. The article also appears on several other websites with Chaplain Skip's approval.