Our Colleagues Matter

“You are the light of the world…let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16).

I was rushing to see my first clinic patients, and passed him at the elevator.
“How are you doing today, Simon?” I threw out in passing.
“Not so well,” he replied.
This was not what I had planned to hear in my rush to work, but I made myself stop. “What’s going on?”
“My daughter is going through a horrible divorce and I’ve just been in Kansas City trying to help her. I know you don’t have time for this, but you’re a religious person and might understand.”

Do our colleagues know that “we are religious persons?” Do they feel free to interrupt our day and open up with their deep concerns? Have we lived a life that is genuinely Christian and is inviting enough so that our colleagues feel welcomed to seek the person they do not understand in hopes that He has an answer to their greatest needs?

If so, are we willing to stop in our rush past the elevator? Usually I am not.

Are my ears open and actively attentive so that a soft appeal for comradeship or compassion might break through the gears in my head that are constantly planning my next move?

If I do answer a call for help, am I actively praying for God’s Spirit to speak a word that will not only bring comfort but also lead to the arms of Christ?

My colleagues matter more than my plans.

Is God’s light visible in my life for them?

Am I willing to pause long enough for that light to penetrate their deepest canyons?

Dear Father,
Let my plans be less important than yours and let me stop whenever one cries out in need of your love.
Amen