Southland Christian Ministry Training
|
By Ian, on April 29th, 2011%
 As part of my rest and recuperation, between Easter and ANZAC Day I went walking to the top of Australia. No, I did not go to the Northern Territory, I climbed to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak on the Australian mainland. In world terms it is not very high at 2228 metres but it was a good days walk, going from Charlotte Pass, via Main Range to the top and then back down the fire trail to our starting point, in all about 23 Km. I can assure you that there were lots of ups and downs with even some snow on the high points, but what made it worth the effort were the views which were spectacular.
Pondering this journey I was reminded of the fact that life is just like that. It is all too easy to opt for the status quo, to stay in the valley where you are comfortable, to accept mediocrity and other people’s visions rather than doing the hard work of walking it yourself. This was the hardest walk I have done in a long time, but I am glad that I made the effort, even with the weariness and sore muscles I had afterwards. Are there some mountains that you have longed to climb, but never got round to? Don’t put it off!
We met many people at the top who had taken the short cut via the chairlift at Thredbo and the much easier walk along the ridge. Not everyone is called to walk the same road, and sometimes this is a smart option, or at least a stepping stone which will prepare you for greater things in the future. What is important is that you have stretched yourself, gone to new heights and become stronger in the process.
 There were many who passed us on the trail, like some young people who ran the whole track! Yet in this journey, as in life, speed was not as important as consistency and perseverance, finishing the distance. Some people who are in too much of a hurry are often the ones who get injured! Those who lack confidence are also at risk. One girl trying to cross the creek at a crucial point hesitated, refused the help of others around, and ended up completely drenched in the icy waters! We need to admit that we are not lone rangers – we need each other – and should have the confidence to ask for help when we need it, and not allow our pride to get in the way.
One final lesson which I learnt at OTS (RAAF Officer Training School) was the six P’s – “prior preparation prevents poor performance”. If you are going to do a walk like this you need to be prepared for a whole range of contingencies. I may have complained about the weight of my pack at the beginning, with all that food, water, extra clothing, wet weather gear and gloves… but we used most of it! Yes some things in life are hard, so find the positives and focus on these, as it is those challenges that will build character and make life worthwhile!
Chaplain Ian S Whitley
By Ian, on April 27th, 2011%
This week while away in Glenbrook with a group of senior chaplains I was challenged to consider what makes a successful chaplain who can keep going for the long term. We talked about the pressures we face and the issues that get at us, but not much about how to overcome these things. In my role at RAAF Wagga I often counsel people about the need for balance in life, but this week as I reviewed my own life it did not look all that successful, so here is a list of ten things I am trying to implement to rebalance my life:
Slow down! I need to adopt a more realistic expectation of myself and others. I seem to be continually suffering from “hurry sickness”, I will never catch up, so it is not going to matter if I slow up a little! And enjoy the view along the way!
Umpire! I need to find somebody to be my personal coach and mentor. I have said this for years but I have not done it! Why?
Cognitive restructuring! I can choose to change the way I think, and though it is not easy, over time I can change my perspective on issues and my attitudes to them.
Consistent Input! I have to make sure that my input is greater than my output, and seek to learn something new every day. That might mean not doing some other things.
Eat and Exercise healthily! Sadly I have allowed myself to put on those extra kgs, so I have to take responsibility for that and make some changes to my daily program.
Self knowledge! I need to know my gifts and abilities as well as admit my limitations. It is only as I am honest about these things that I can take steps to address them.
Sabbath! The manufacturer’s instructions recommend at least one day off per week and failure to do so will void the warranty. I can’t blame God for my illness when I have neglected the proper balance between work and rest.
 Fun! My wife tells me that I have forgotten how to have fun and laugh. We were made to enjoy life and not just endure it so don’t take it so seriously, lighten up and have a good laugh.
Understand the plan! We all need to know where we are going, so maybe it is time to clarify your goals and get excited about where God is leading you.
Love and accept love! We all need relationships, a place where we are accepted and belong. Families are important, yet if we keep putting them on the bottom of the priority list, when we need them they will not be there.
Well, they are some of the things I learnt this week. I’m still not sure what the chaplaincy branch will look like in 2015, but I am sure that God is in control and that His vision of the future requires me to more balanced! Success if not about doing more things, it’s about doing the right things better. Maybe it is time for you to rethink what it means to be successful???
Chaplain Ian Whitley
By Ian, on April 16th, 2011%
 It might just be that I’m getting old, but as I pondered the coming ANZAC Day I was reminded of my earliest memories of its meaning. I have a clear picture of the frail old WW1 diggers who used to come to the school I attended in the 60’s. One story stands out, that of Simpson and his donkey, which has become a legend in its own right.
John Simpson Kirkpatrick was part of the 3rd Field Ambulance and had somehow acquired a moth-eaten old donkey to help him transport men with leg injuries back down Shrapnel Gully to be treated. The way the story was told (and I suspect how I have continued to tell it) he was portrayed as a saint, a modern day good Samaritan who selflessly took risks to help his Aussie mates. Yet there was an ironic twist, instead of this story having a happy ending, on 19th May 1915, on his way up the valley he is hit in the heart and is killed.
According to Les Carlyon, in his book Gallipoli, (ISBN 0 7329 10897) Simpson was not even an Australian, though he had joined up in Australia. He was portrayed as the average bloke that you would meet in a shearing shed or on a railway gang in outback Australia, yet he was in reality more familiar with Northern England!
 Carlyon concludes that the real Simpson was probably more interesting than the legend, more rough around the edges and probably sadder. History suggests that Australians often seem to choose “quirky heroes’ (Carlyon) and the reality is that the stories of many ordinary diggers who lost their lives at Gallipoli were included in this one “picture”.
So when it comes down to it, I think that I have chosen the story of Simpson and his donkey as a meta-narrative which describes my forbears who fought and died in the ugly chaos of WW1, both at Gallipoli and in France. Like many of you, I have their medals but not their stories, and I can only imagine what they went through. I choose to believe that Ben and his older brother Joe (who was killed in France) acted heroically, put their lives on the line for their mates, with courage and conviction set the standard which has been handed down to us.
This ANZAC Day, pause to remember and honour all those thousands of unnamed myth makers who are represented in Simpson. He was not perfect, but if you are looking for a perfect example then I need to direct you to Jesus who demonstrated those same values, which is what Easter is really all about!
Chaplain Ian S Whitley
By Ian, on March 25th, 2011%
There are some weeks that I seem to be a magnet for angry, hurting, frustrated people. While filling in for the 1RTU chaplain I also did some presentations on communication, workplace relations and ethics, but somehow putting those concepts into practice with difficult people never gets any easier. Been there? While pondering this gulf between theory and practice I had to admit that maybe it would be easier if I had a quick checklist. So, the next time an angry, hurt, frustrated person walks into your office (or home) work through this list:
- Be Open! Don’t make a hasty judgement and reject them on the basis of how you feel. Choose NOT to get defensive, and be open to the fact that they may have good reason for reacting the way they are. They may have come to you because they trust you, so don’t blow it by acting busy.
- Listen actively! Let them vent their feelings, encourage them to keep talking by asking open ended questions. Resist the urge to interrupt and give easy quick fix solutions before they are really finished describing their problem. Give them your undivided attention, look at their body language as well as what they are saying or not saying.
- Check for accuracy! Give them some feedback as to what you have heard. This will require a calm confident assessment of what the issue is and how they feel about it. Seek to get any others facts or documentation that may have led up to this problem.
- Express empathy! Telling them they are stupid for feeling the way they do will not help. Seek to understand what it would be like to be in their shoes, and validate their feelings. You may never have been in their situation, but to recognise and verbalise their depth of feeling gives you the opportunity to begin helping.
- Determine direction! Find out what they think would be an ideal solution. This may be totally unrealistic, but it is the obvious place to start. They may see this as the only option, but your role is to help them find a range of possible solutions to be assessed. At this point you may also need to get other specialist input as to how some of these options will affect other parts of the organisation. Make a decision!
- Develop action plan! Clearly describe what you are going to do and what you expect them to do to put this plan into practice. Don’t be afraid to document this process as this may save a lot of heartache in the future for all concerned.
- Do it! No matter how good the plan may be if it is not implemented nothing changes! Follow through and make sure that you express your thanks to the person for raising it and helping to resolve it. This may also give you an opportunity to make sure that they have done what they agreed to do.
Finally, remember that sometimes the actual cause of their anger and frustration may be systemic, and patting yourself on the back for how well you handled the individual may not address the real issue. Step 8 therefore will require you to assess and address the wider context of the complaint.
Chaplain Ian S Whitley
By Ian, on March 21st, 2011%
While at the War Memorial a couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of the story of a couple of Aussie soldiers during World War 1.
 Simpson and His Donkey One night in the nightmare of trench warfare, a young lieutenant commanded his men to attack the enemy. Obeying the officer’s command the men left the safety of their trench and began the crawl toward the enemy. They were spotted and the bullets suddenly hones in on them. They quickly retreated to their own trenches. When the gunfire ceased it was strangely still, except for the moaning and groaning of those lfeft behind in no-mans land, wounded.
One of them kept crying for his friend George, begging him to come and save him. George in turn pleaded with the lieutenant to let him go. But the young officer said “No” over and over again, trying to explain that he didn’t want to lose another man in what would be a foolhardy rescue attempt. I’ve lost him, I don’t want to lose you as well”, the lieutenant shouted. But the young digger kept pleading and finally in exasperation the officer said “Okay! If you want to get yourself killed, go ahead! I’m tired of listening to you whinge!”
 The young soldier sneaked over the edge of the trench and inched his way along the ground, grabbed his friend and slowly pulled him back to safety, pushing him into the trench and then falling in on top of him. But it was too late – he was dead. The lieutenant angrily yelled at him “George, I told you there was no point in your bravery. Why did you risk your life? What did you achieve? There was no point, you were a fool!” George answered, “I was no fool. When I got to him he was still alive, and the last words he said were “George, I knew you would come!”
That is the tradition of mateship and friendship that we have inherited. That is what a true friend does. Maybe that is why I am so saddened when I speak to anyone within the military who feels alone and say they have no friends. Yes, development of friends takes time and effort, but we need each other! In fact, that is what Jesus did for us as well, offering us an answer to the despair and hopelessness we feel and promising to be our friend.
Chaplain Ian S Whitley
|
|
