This year started much differently than 2021. I was on chaplaincy call for the sheriff’s office last year. My duty day began early on January 1, 2021. I was dispatched an infant death call. I will not offer any details to ensure the privacy of a good family. I can confirm that the death was not the result of a criminal act or negligence. “Kid Calls” as we so describe them are hard. I have been on plenty of them…
It is a common theme in my discussions with both emergency medical services professionals and 911 dispatchers. Their friends, who are not first responders, ask the same question. It is a question that is asked repeatedly. Are you ready? The question is: “What is your worst call you have been on as an EMT or paramedic?” Or…”What is the worst call you have taken as a dispatcher? May I answer for these professionals? Here is a really good initial answer. …
–> I try really hard to remain connected to my friends. But, I often let weeks go by without calling or texting. This week I was reminded of the value of a kind overture. There is nothing like being on the receiving end of genuine encouragement. Every single day this past week one of my friends reached out to me and made it clear in their own way that I was valued. I had to leave a memorial service rather…
I have noticed that the superhero movies tend to do well at the box office. The same superhero can be featured in several movies and the theaters are full. Why is that true. Is it attributed to superb acting and engaging special effects? Maybe… I actually think there is another dynamic at work. Our culture longs for heroes. They are out there, if you look. There is a particular longing for the kind of heroes that most people will never…
–> If I ever officiate at a graveside service not properly dressed, I think my mother may come back to haunt me. She always made sure I had a nice trench coat for services done on a rainy day. And, she expected me to wear an acceptable wool coat for the chilly ones. When I packed for Charlie Goin’s funeral service in Oklahoma this week, I made a slight mistake. I grabbed the black wool coat from the closet that…
I don’t recall the 7th grade being my favorite year in school. In fact, that may very well have been the worst year in my entire academic experience. It was a socially awkward time. It was a time of searching for a sense of identity. I had to deliver a speech in English class that year. The teacher made it clear in her critique of said speech that my future would not be in public speaking… Thankfully, my occupational identity…
My sister, Dr. Kerry Knox, passed away one year ago this weekend. She still had so much in life she had hoped to accomplish. As a professor in a medical school, she was assigned to researching suicide in veterans and related issues. She worked in conjunction with the US Air Force, as they did research they hoped would impact lives for many years to come. But, for Kerry, it came to a sudden end on October 21st of last year. I…
I have told my friends for nearly 30 years that being a police chaplain is very much an “out of the box” ministry. It’s ministry in the field and not in a church building! And it’s a ministry to all kinds of people of all ages coming from all walks of life. And…I love it!! In recent years, my law-enforcement chaplaincy efforts have expanded to those serving in Emergency Medical Services. I have been welcomed with open arms by these…
We see you. We grasp the courage you have to go where others will not. The courage to face unspeakable darkness. The willingness to step into the unknown. The capacity to see and smell things that most people prefer not to discuss. We see you. Thank you for your courage. We see you. You are our protectors. You protect us from evil. You protect us from our own poor choices. You protect us when our bodies are injured and when…
We don’t see you. You are hidden in a dark dungeon on sunny days while others are out playing and taking in a few rays. When their fun becomes tragic, you are the first one to comfort, guide, and instruct. But we don’t see you doing that. You are hidden. We don’t see you. A woman’s husband is coming after her in a drunken rage. You strive to calm her as you tell her where to safely hide while she…