Journal of Sacred Work

Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.

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Former President & CEO of multiple hospital systems and founding president & CEO of 20-hospital OhioHealth, best selling author, film artist, ordained minister, composer, published poet, syndicated T.V. host, trial attorney, federal prosecutor and Municipal Court Judge. Erie is internationally known as the founder of the Radical Loving Care(R)movement. He also heads Erie Chapman Foundation, Dane Dakota Productions, LLC, and Chapman Health International, Inc.

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Day 326 – “Blessed”

November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving could well serve as the model for how to live all our days. Every moment we live in gratitude is a moment informed by God's Love.

We all know we are blessed. We know that our lives were touched by angels at the moment of our birth. Why is it so difficult for us to practice gratitude for the Love we receive?

When someone asks how he is doing, my friend, Dr. Keith Hagan, is fond of saying, "I'm blessed." Dr. Hagan clearly practices gratitude. I believe that, as he does this – as he tells others that he feels blessed – his very statement seems to enrich the quality of his life and those around him.

As a physician specializing in urology, Dr. Hagan sees people in trouble every day. He treats more than his share of patients with cancer. He knows the look in a patient's eyes when they receive the news that their condition is terminal. And yet, each day, he tells others he feels blessed. Instead of complaining about the challenges of caregiving, he revels in the privilege of being able to help and, sometimes, to heal.

What would Monday morning look like if we thought of ourselves as blessed? What would each of our hours be like if we were grateful for our jobs instead of resentful?

Thanksgiving arrives and departs as any day. We have the chance to treat each day as a day of Thanksgiving. Perhaps this begins when we follow Dr. Hagan's example and think of our lives as blessed.

-Rev. Erie Chapman

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6 responses to “Day 326 – “Blessed””

Karen York

November 25, 2009

I am blessed Erie, beyond measure. Thank you for this reminder of living graciously every day. I am thankful for you and the blessings you and your colleagues at the Baptist Healing Trust have given to our organization and our community at large. So many lives are touched in Nashville because of your generosity and caring. To be more specific, homeless people have a place to stay, hungry people have food, teenagers in trouble have someone to look after them, battered women can feel safe, the dying receive a loving embrace from a caregiver. I could go on and on. Blessings to all of you!

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~liz Wessel

November 25, 2009

I am thankful for your wise counsel, Erie and for the vision of this glorious painting. To visit this Journal each day is a practice in gratitude and it is a privilege to be able to express my sentiments here.
I feel blessed!
The blessings for which we hunger are not to be found in other places or people. These gifts can only be given to you by your self. They are at home at the hearth of your soul.
—John O’Donohue

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Rachelle Yeates

November 25, 2009

Erie, this week has been filled with reminders towards gratitude, but none were as beautifully done as this. Thank you for the gentle tug at my soul. I am blessed….and more so because of people such as yourself. Happy Thanksgiving and blessings to you and yours, and to those who frequent this journal.

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Victoria Facey

November 25, 2009

Erie, as I drove to work this morning, I smiled at the sun and thought of how beautiful the day appears. I am more grateful and sensitive than I’ve been in years to my surroundings, and those I interact with and hopefully touch each day. Therefore, I am blessed.
The Journal of Sacred Work is often a compass when I need a sense of direction. Your daily meditations and extraordinary perspectives have enriched my life and opened up my mind to new treasures, while refreshing earlier memories in life.
Erie, I wish for you, your family and all who share this website a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving Day…

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Kelly Roberts

November 25, 2009

What an amazing reflection. Thank you Erie for your post. I am very blessed this year. I am so thankful that my sister has survived a life threatening illness and is with us to share Thanksgiving this year.

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Maureen McDermott

November 30, 2009

Thank you Erie (and thanks to Liz for drawing my attention to the reflection) for your practical and as usual,inspirational reflection. As you well know Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Australia, more to our pity, I believe. I am aware however of this great national day that is so treasured by the citizens of the States. My hope is, like that of Erie, that each day we can realise how blessed we really are and for this to be grateful. Our wonder-filled founder, Mary MacKillop wrote in 1873 (at age 31) “See the greatness and the beauty of God” If only we had the heart and the desire to really see and then we would be grateful. I hope that the spirit of your Thanksgiving celebration continues to bring you life.

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