Ten years ago I spent the summer as an Intern
Chaplin in the Veterans Hospital in Minneapolis MN. I was only there for a short period of time,
but I look back on those moments as some of my most transformative in my entire
life. It was the first time that I sat
with a family as their loved one passed away.
It was the first time I saw people broken by pain... whether that pain was
physical, mental, or spiritual. It was
also one of the first times that individuals looked to me as a spiritual
leader. There were people who shared
some of their deepest vulnerabilities and moments of loss with me. In so many ways, I was not ready for all of
this, but I felt blessed that God was working anyway.
I learned a lot from each one of those
veterans. In fact, I’m sure I grew much
more from them than the other way around.
They were generous, patient, and I received an incredible amount of love
that still affects me today.
Every year, as we remember Veteran’s Day, I
think about my time at the VA. My entire
experience there was powerful, but more than anything else, I keep coming back
to all the conversations I was blessed to have.
I was called to be present through joys and sorrows, and there was
really something sacred about that. This
week, I am so grateful for the service of every veteran, and I hope and pray we
can all spend some time cherishing the freedom, the people, and the love we
have in our lives.
Blessings!
Brian
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