When I went to the office to grind out the worship bulletin and handle mail & messages, there was one answering machine message about a woman in the local hospital and another about a child in Children's Hospital's psych unit. I called
that_guy_zach to go round the local hospital to catch up with the one lady; meanwhile, I went to see the new widow. I just got a call from the mother of the boy in the psych unit. She's new to this drill, worried that if I go visiting it'll cut into her time. I explained that clergy can slip in at other times, but with the regs we currently have in place, she has to put me on his visitors' list, or they won't even confirm to me that he's there.Personal crises and pastoral care issues don't wait for you to get un-busy. They just happen when they happen. For the people they happen to, of course, they're huge things, scary things. For the pastor, they are that, too, but also things that need responses that have to be shoehorned into a day where the grass needs to be mowed and the dog walked, paper pushed, and time spent with one's spouse. But now we're coming into the end of the day, and all needs (for this day) have been met and answered.
I'm just glad tomorrow's sermon was written eleven years ago (open can, add heat, serve). I'd really be freaking out if I still had a message to finish (though I do think I need to bop over to Florence briefly, so I think I'll sign off).
Excelsior!