Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Investments

I'm taking a break from the normal Tuesday thing, mainly because I've been re-telling our story all weekend long in Nebraska and Virginia. I'll pick it back up next week after I've gotten back into my routine and let the dust settle. I had a great time with the people of the Nebraska Hospital Association on Friday of last week and with my friends over at NAFA in Virginia yesterday. I am so thankful for the opportunities to share and to talk with the people at these different venues.

I can't tell you how good it is to be home. Being back in Thompson's Station, running my kids all over town, getting back to the office--all of those things kind of get me back into my routine. I also can't tell you how much I appreciate the staff of guys (and one incredible ministry assistant) that I work with. Knowing that I can be gone on a Sunday and that Ridgeview doesn't miss a beat is a wonderful thing. I don't often do it. I can't stand being away. But when I am, I know that RCC is in good hands with this team.

As I was walking out of the ballroom where I spoke Monday morning, a young lady handed me a piece of paper with this quote on it. I don't know who said it (it was on the paper but I'm working from a tired memory bank here). But it was a pretty powerful statement. Here it goes. Hope I remember it correctly:

"I'd rather lose one minute to save a life than to lose a life in just one minute."

The implications for people in health care are obvious. The time that is spent in doing things right, in offering your very best to care for your patients, pays off in more ways than you can imagine. It's quality of care and it's the difference between life and death.

But think about the implications for those of you who call yourself a Christ follower. Discipling is about investing and investing is about time. Lives--spiritually and physically--can be won or lost in a matter of minutes. What matters is...everything! Every choice you make about how you live and how you invest your time. Every single half second could carry a ripple half way around the world to places you don't know and people you've never met. But it comes back down to how you spend this next minute. Will you invest it in someone else, in something that truly matters and could make a difference? Or, do you still naively believe that this world is all about you? I'm afraid too many of us--in health care and in the church--choose option two.

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