“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” –Romans 12:10
We as chaplains have spent almost a year through these devotionals reflecting on what it means to be an organization that is connected to one another. As we prepare to transition to a new focus, my thoughts lead me to thinking of when I have seen this done well.
I love to see people honored. Oh, not the individuals that strive for and thrive on being honored. No, the ones I love to see being honored are those that least expect, but greatly deserve it.
Before becoming a campus chaplain of Loma Linda University, I worked for many years as a pastor of local churches. In my years at one church, I watched a man — he wasn’t a flashy person and didn’t seek attention, position or acclaim. He loved his church and the members of his church family. He loved serving Jesus. Whenever there was a need for work to be done on the physical plant of the church, he was always there — the first to arrive and last to leave. Whenever someone needed help, he was there. When there was a financial need, he chipped in with what he could, never expecting adulation. He simply loved people and wanted to be helpful.
One day, we set up a surprise event in his honor. The truth was that if we had told him that we wanted to celebrate and honor him, he would have never showed up. At the event, people shared their stories about him and all that he had done. They thanked him and honored him. He was stunned. Emotion ran deep in the room. He couldn’t understand what all of the fuss was about. In his eyes, he hadn’t done anything special or out of the ordinary. He just lived a life the way he thought Jesus wanted him to.
That man and that night are special to my heart. Our church family got it right that time. We showed our love with genuine affection and delighted in honoring this dear man in our midst.
Have you ever been honored by someone? Did you feel blessed, transformed and cared for? Wasn’t there more spring in your step and joy in your heart after the experience?
How transformative would it be for Loma Linda University Health if one of our “many strengths” was that we lovingly honored those around us? Not just the prominent powerhouses, but the everyday “giants” who sometimes go unnoticed, but whose efforts keep us going and empower all of us to do our jobs. How can we show them honor? By saying words of appreciation for what they do, how they do it and who they are; by taking time to pour into them instead of just passing them by.
Loma Linda University Health is famous for research. So let’s all work on a research project. Here’s the protocol: after you are through reading this devotional, honor three people for what they do and how they have blessed your life. Be specific, and don’t just speak in generalities. Then mentally take note of how your words affect them. Share your findings and experiences with at least one other person you work with, or go to class with.
I wonder what our research project will discover. Actually, I already have a pretty good idea.
—Terry Swenson, DMin, is campus chaplain of Loma Linda University.
