11 Jun
11Jun

A national healthcare organization asked me to lead a workshop. The marketing director asked if I would lead a seminar on The Spirituality of Caregiving. The gentleman also told me not to worry if I didn’t attract a large crowd. They usually only have about a half dozen in attendance at their workshops. I agreed to lead the seminar. I returned to the office to look online for resources as references for the workshop. I typed in a variety of names corresponding to spirituality and caregiving. My search was of no avail. There was little or nothing on the subject of spiritual care for caregivers. Hmmm, now what? Rather than giving up and canceling the seminar, I decided to write the content on the subject. After all, the marketing representative assured me that attendance would probably be small. It was bitterly cold outside, and I could see my breath, but I couldn’t feel my face the day of the morning of the workshop. Such is winter in Minnesota. I had the thought in the back of my mind that the cold would keep attendance down. I went to the designated meeting room and connected my laptop to the projector to display my PowerPoint. I unpacked the twenty copies of my presentation to hand out to the participants. Yes, I am an optimist at heart. Seminar participants slowly began to gather in the meeting room. People streamed in a couple at a time until the room was packed. The marketing director went to the other room and brought in some extra chairs. The twenty handouts I printed were gone. What was happening? I started through My presentation when participants began to raise their hands to ask questions. Not only did they want to ask me questions, but they also wanted answers. Side conversations began among the participants as I identified different types of spiritual caregivers. Familiarity in caregiving instantly brought the caregivers together. Some of the participants had an epiphany moment when they realized the spiritual role of caregiving. I learned something from the seminar. There was a high-interest level in a subject with little available information. People seemed eager to learn about spiritual self-care as they cared for their loved ones. Three people in attendance were professional caregivers. As caregivers, they had hit the wall and wanted to know the best way to care for their spiritual health. One workshop does not make a trend, but it seemed clear that there was a need to help people in their spiritual struggles. I have over thirty years of experience as the spiritual leader of various congregations. This writing is my first attempt at providing spiritual guidance in a blog format. I will share content that I believe will help readers find the life balance many seek today. I am also open to your questions, concerns, and guidance for future content. Feel free to email me with topics of interest in which you want me to blog. Hopefully, we can create something together that can touch lives and heal souls. Spiritual well-being is never just about the health of your soul. It also includes the souls for whom you provide care. Posts are for informational and educational purposes only.

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