I really enjoy Tish’s blog posts. I featured one of them a few weeks ago, “Ride-along Chaplain.” In addition to being an author, Tish is a life coach and a hospital chaplain. I found this post very timely and thought-provoking as we approach the Fourth of July. Wishing you a happy and safe holiday.

The pager went off at what felt like the worst possible time: 01:38 AM. The few hours of sleep already stored weren’t enough and most of the next morning might be lost in recovery. I tried to get my voice to sound “normal” and then called back.

Someone was dying and the family asked for me to come. Not me by name, me in the role I was in that night. I promised to arrive in 30 minutes. My clothes were already laid out and I hadn’t washed my face in case something like this occurred, no time to re-do makeup in the middle of the night. Like who really cared anyway in these moments.

Not much traffic and I skidded through a couple of reds. One time a cop saw me do that and actually gave me a police escort right to the ER. “Just follow me, Reverend.” I’m technically not a Reverend.

I walked in the room and did my job. I prayed, read a Psalm, hugged, and tried to come up with words of comfort. There are few.

Drove home, laid awake for ages, finally got back to sleep and lost some of the morning. Just like I thought it would go.

But that’s it, inconvenienced. I wasn’t the dying one or the family or the medical team for that matter. My life pretty much picked up where it left off.

I was given a gift of Perspective that night.

I thought of the times of my travel delays because of an accident on the highway. Who was more affected, me or the person in the ambulance?

Or my sometimes frustration because some in front of me is not moving “fast enough?” Whatever is causing the slower pace is likely far more troublesome than my impatience.

On this holiday weekend there might be a few opportunities to practice the perspective of being “inconvenienced.” The weather might be hot or rainy, you will experience lots of traffic or too many crowds. Your grill might run out of gas or you will forget to buy ice. Whatever might push your button, let it go. You and your loved ones will be around to tell about it Monday.

Hope you have a fabulous celebration!

Hope for the best,

Tish

Letitia Suk invites women to chase the intentional life. She writes and speaks of renewal and restoration offering platters of hope to women in each season of life. Tish blogs at hopeforthebest.org and is the author of Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat (http://amzn.to/2pPE7Iu) and Rhythms of Renewal.

Letitia Suk is a friend from forty years ago with whom I lost contact until we recently discovered each other at a Christian writers’ conference. I heard her name when they introduced her as the conference chaplain, but silly me, I didn’t put it together that Letitia was actually Tish. I remember wondering if she was related to the Tish Suk I had once known. Eventually we became Facebook friends and I saw a picture of her with her husband, Tom. The lightbulb finally went on. Her recently released book, Getaway with God, inspired me to begin taking personal retreats. I recommend this book, and her blog (see below). The posts are always thought provoking and uplifting. I hope you enjoy this one.

I love my Uber app. Just a few clicks and I am good to go somewhere when Tom is using our shared car.  Of course I learned about it from my 20-something daughter who stayed on the phone with me while I signed up as I was anxious about somehow “doing it wrong.”

My opening question is always, “How long have you been driving with Uber?” The answer has ranged from three years to one day. Most of the time it is just a few months.

Perhaps because I may or may not have a “Mom-like” presence, I’m honored with hearing many stories from the drivers during our rides. I don’t broadcast an invitation like “Tell me your life history in the next 10 minutes” but that’s often what happens.

About half the time, especially if I’m transported to the hospital, I mention I’m a chaplain (i.e. I pray for people.) The most common response: Will you pray for me?  I do, of course, right there. No time for theology or inter-faith discussions, just simple prayer.

My favorite encounter was on a long ride to the airport, lots of time for stories. As we were pulling in, the driver turned around, “Ma’am, we are almost there and you haven’t prayed for me yet!” Another time the driver asked me if it would be OK to give me a hug after we had prayed about some tough family stuff. Yup, just fine.

Funny but I’ve never had the same driver twice and never hear how things worked out but that’s OK.

Looking forward to the next round of stories, everyone has one.

Hope for the best,

Tish

Letitia Suk invites women to chase the intentional life. She writes and speaks of renewal and restoration offering platters of hope to women in each season of life. Tish blogs at hopeforthebest.org and is the author of Getaway with God: The Everywoman’s Guide to Personal Retreat (http://amzn.to/2pPE7Iu) and Rhythms of Renewal.