Elsie came in with an anxious countenance. Her husband had been in mental decline for a
number of years and it finally came to the point where she could no longer care
for him and he needed to be placed in a ‘home’.
They have been married for 50 years and like most couples it hadn't always been easy. He was hard to live with but putting him in ‘the home’ was the hardest
thing she had ever done. On top of that
there was the financial implications.
They had a nest egg set aside but the cost of ‘the home’ was more than
she could handle. She was a strong woman
and had weathered much pain over the years but this was so overwhelming.
Barry had agreed to meet with her to go over her
options. He had some experience in
dealing with the process because his Dad had been in a facility and knew the
pain, confusion and difficulties that Elsie was facing. He realized that she needed someone to talk
to, someone to vent her frustrations and pain.
Barry had many things to do that day.
It was an unusually busy time of the year but he knew that this is one
of those times when being ‘Jesus with skin on’ was more important than that
report he needed to get to or the fundraising golf classic he was scheduled to
attend. It has his time to be an ambassador
in a broken world.
I found many opportunities to
minister to people in the business context, especially the insurance
business. When tragedy strikes,
catastrophe overwhelms and a life is derailed I am the one they could come to
and find not just a financial help but also a listening ear, a compassionate
conversation and a concern for how they were feeling and navigating the
pain. Having someone to help them
navigate the contractor to call, the clean-up company to mop up after the
firefighters had left, a hotel room to stay in and clothes to wear until they
could get settled. That goes beyond just
the financial transaction. It is
empathizing with their pain and disruption.
That's what it means to be 'Jesus with skin on', a real representative from the kingdom.
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