Day 29: Beware of Oncoming Care!

Psalm 23:2–3a: (NIV) “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.”

The halfway point of a six-month cruise is a special time. There is the sense of knowing that you will only have to do what you have already done: three months. We all had traveled at a hectic pace and needed rest. In the fabled words of Elmer Fudd of Bugs Bunny fame: “West and Wewaxation at Wast!” (Rest and relaxation at last.) The only problem was most helping care professionals, including chaplains, don’t know how to rest. A peculiarly worded sign comes to mind when I think about the danger of tired people providing care: Beware of oncoming care. (Such miswording is rampant in Okinawa. The sign should have read: Beware of oncoming cars.)

I observed that the staff seemed tired. And, based on my understanding of the deployment cycle and my last deployment, I gave one of the chaplains a day off to rejuvenate. He came back the next day more refreshed than ever. How wonderful to know that God has made those kinds of provisions for us according to his word. We have God’s lead to follow: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Always remember:

You provide me with rest, O Lord, that I must take advantage of,
Your quiet waters, green pastures, can make me wise, but harmless as a dove.
Call me to remembrance of your peace that can also give true rest,
So when I minister to others in need, I’ll always be at my best!

Questions to Consider:

• When was the last time you enjoyed complete rest—in God?
• Have you afforded the opportunity for others to do the same?

Reflection for the Day:

• Meditate on how David must have felt when he penned Psalm 23.