May 5th, 2021: Moments of Life

 


I have been driving down to Lethbridge almost weekly for the last 20 years. I have had the opportunity to serve many businesses there as a corporate coach and chaplain. It is a peculiar job position for many people who are not familiar with it. I was stopped by a police officer once for driving a bit too fast, and he asked me what I do. After hearing my explanation, he decided to let me go with a warning ticket. So what did I tell him?


Encourage business leaders and owners to invest in their people spiritually, intellectually, and personally. It is about running a business and seeing people grow at the same time. I met a young man who worked as an assembler at a client's plant in 2001. He was respectful and bright. He told me he flunked out of university after one year because of drugs. He and I met weekly for about two years, and during that period, he found his way back to school. We talked a lot about God, hope, and dreams. To make a long story short. He graduated with the Governor General Award and went on to do his Ph.D. in Sociology. He is now working as a researcher for Statistics Canada.

Encourage business leaders and owners to be an instrument of  healing and restoration in the lives of many of their employees. I have seen many examples of that. I spent a good four years bi -weekly talking with a single mom who wanted to be a nurse but didn't finish high school. She also had three children from three different sexual encounters. Her self-understanding and her self-respect were bottomed out. We went through many serious conversations. She fought me hard occasionally because it was not easy for her to walk a straight line. Yet, she never failed to meet me. She finished high school and went to college to get her LPN. Her oldest boy is at the university in Calgary. He is a kind and articulate young man.

Whenever I think about these two individuals, I am deeply grateful for the privilege I had in walking with them. Transformation takes place whenever we are open to God and His desires for us. It was not simple and easy. It was challenging, honest, and caring. God has used these lessons to teach us about hope, dependence, and life priorities. By the way, I also had fun when I performed both of their weddings.

Romans 8: 28
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

Popular posts from this blog

Sept 4th, 2024: Praying in Images

Image
It has been a rough few days. Living in immense pain does not allow us much energy to think about anything. I ended up praying in images, and not many words came out of my mouth. Most of the images were of people I know. God knew that I was praying for them as their faces came to my mind. I did not need to mention the circumstances or situations of their lives—He knows. My heart was at peace as I ended my days with these images. He will take care of my body, and I know this because I was able to get some sleep. Tomorrow is in His hands.
Read more

Aug 31st, 2024: Confession

Image
Dealing with pain sometimes affects our ability and flexibility. A physiotherapist friend gave me a set of home exercises to help with that. They are simple yet intense at the same time. Dealing with our human brokenness sometimes affects our ability to see and hear God. Our commitment to spiritual disciplines must be at the core of our relationship with God. One of the disciplines I have been trying to embrace more fully is confession. It’s not just about recognizing where we have gone wrong; it’s about how we have chosen to live our lives independently from God. It’s about whether we truly want God to be part of our lives. The absence of meaningful confession will damage our freedom to experience intimacy with God. "Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." - Proverbs 28:13
Read more

May 18th, 2020: Why Forgiveness?

Image
  A young man called me last night and he was tormented by his relationship with his mother. It is not because she was a horrible mom. It was unresolved grief that is caused by his dad's suicide a few years ago. Emotionally, he blames parents for his father's death although he knows intellectually that it is not right. I knew the father a bit because his mother and her family came to see me for help when they first arrived in Canada. He was a brilliant physician and who was quite loved by people of a small northern town in Alberta. He was awkward in some ways and very uncomfortable in social conversations. This young man has had many conversations with me ever since the suicide. His father's death has been a major topic of our time together. Most of our conversation yesterday was about forgiveness. We were talking about forgiving people who never ask or haven't got a chance to ask us to forgive them. The question is whether we can forgive without being asked. His father...
Read more