By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA

Early in my mid-20’s divorce became part of my life for safety’s sake. I married at 17 and gave birth to my first of three sons at age 18. Eight years into the marriage I could clearly see I had no other good choice but to divorce. This event held considerable sway as the church I attended was very important to me. Feeling a part of the congregational family had woven my soul to God in beautiful ways. But when the pastor thought I should not end my marriage it was not long before feeling like I no longer fit in.

It was one of the most difficult times in life. I struggled as if I had lost my moorings. Then, one early morning while sleeping soundly I was awakened by the most beautiful singing I have ever heard—sung by a choir! The song was powerfully present in reverberating words wherein I kept hearing “abide with Me.” The music captured me for long moments. Then it was gone.

I knew it was a song of assurance. God was not holding anything against me. Through the magnificent experience of having angels sing to me, I felt God’s benevolent arms . . . beckoning me to find love and comfort through Him. Soon after, a church was found in which the pastor and his wife befriended me and my children. That was many years ago, but the quest for finding joy in life and being “a joy” to others, once again was readily resumed.

About three years had passed when I met a marvelous man named Gary Smith who became my husband and very soon after became “Dad” to my three little boys. He exhibited what it means to be the blesser of a family. We were married on Christmas Day as he had a Navy obligation to meet. Today, I write on the eve of our anniversary! Truth is this dear husband brings joy to my life. Yet the highest of all joys comes through the blessing of attempting to live out God’s call to “abide with Him.”

I found in Scripture that to abide means to set our love on God while dwelling in his truth throughout the uncertainties of life. In John 15: 4, 5, Jesus asked His followers to “Abide in Me . . . . He who abides in Me, bears much fruit. 

It is within that stance of attempting to daily “abide” that I heard the call to prepare my heart, mind and soul for becoming a chaplain. It took a master’s degree and a year of training within a teaching hospital before I could become Board certified as a clinical chaplain. Thirty years of service at hospital and hospice bedsides still finds me intrigued and blessed within the work.

There is an aspect untold in the above which played a very large role in my becoming a chaplain. Early in life I had a serious brain concussion at school at age six. Then contacted encephalitis at age 17. My doctor called my recovery a miracle! Then at 18 years old I was having pulmonary emboli, blood clots, forming in my legs and abdomen and traveling to my heart and lungs. Good doctoring along with having lots of people praying for me saved my life. After so many hospital stays I became acquainted with what it meant to go through such uncertainties bordering on death and seeing others experience this. Looking back, it seems as if all I experienced during those early years was preparing me for what God knew in advance would come.

I feel a beautiful empathy toward sick and dying people. Being a listening, praying presence while with them often brings comfort for me as well as to them as God is with us.

A blog titled “My Spiritual Journey,” will tell more about what it took to release difficult emotional wounds along with the fear these can leave, rising above both mental and physical hardships. And, for sure, God fixes the pot holes by filling them with His glory.

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. Her articles and blogs are read in 32 countries. Joy’s four books are available on her home page at Healing-with-Joy.com where readers can view her children’s book titled, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places. For another opportunity to read this author’s writings go to Healingwithjoy.blogspot.com

By Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Our Christmas tree went up early. The lights can be seen from the street.

This has been a challenging year. In January an aggressive cancer struck our lives. Gary’s surgery came as soon as possible and after he healed we returned to Idaho Urology Institute for six weeks of treatment. He handled it all admirably well. But the doctor’s words to me, following his first scoping, struck me solidly with fear, “It’s a tumor. It’s aggressive. I’ll schedule surgery immediate.”

There was a problem in that this doctor, the only specialist in our town, was retiring and flatly told me he would not be here to be Gary’s doctor. Before leaving his office I called our pastor and drove speedily to meet him. Once in the church sanctuary, all I could do is pace back and forth before the altar. I have been married to Gary since my twenties. We raised three boys together and have hurled matters of great concern before. But, this seemed too much! I could not even pray. The shock had solidly struck my soul.

There were three-700-mile trips for cancer care before summer was over. And, yes, before Thanksgiving, we have our Christmas tree up. Our family all live in the Northwest. We see them twice a year. Christmas is full of memories and family connections. Gifts “come and go.” But traveling to be with them at Christmas will not happen. Always, we look forward to Christmas . . . but more so this year.

Why should a person feel bad for starting Christmas as soon as it seems right for them? I am sure some are under the shadow of cancer, like us. I am also sure some fear it may be their last Christmas! Being together becomes the ultimate prize of life when cancer strikes. We start hanging on to every good thing, every good thought we can—for as long as we can!

During a program seen recently an outstretch hand held a snowflake. It melted quickly. I thought, “That is like life. Each of us is unique, like every snow flake. Life is short. Death is part of the deal. None of us are getting out of here alive! We humans are great at denying this fact—and doctors are great at keeping us alive as long as they possibly can. We thank God for them! We can be thankful for every tiny moment of life.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. One thing I am majorly thankful for is the hope that the medical care Gary received has cured him. We stay with that hope to the best of our ability, as the treatment medication used on his cancer is no longer available—“worldwide,” his doctor explained. Otherwise he would be having treatment this fall—and thereafter for five years, provided God grants him more time.

Thanksgiving is all about remembering all the good things of life and celebrating them. A time to be with family if at all possible. It is a time of soaking up the love.

For some of us we remember how good it is to have neighbors. “Love your neighbors” the Scripture says.” It also says, “God is love.” I truly believe the more we love, the more we are like our Creator.

God is omniscient. He is everywhere. And, our hearts are God’s home on Earth.

It is easy to think the opposite of love is hate. But maybe not. I found on the internet something heard before in a sermon, “The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. In 1967 Reverend Otto M. Spangler addressed a community group in Paducah, Kentucky on the topic of “Apathy Versus Fanaticism”: He said that both were seen now as never before. A growing feeling—a lack of concern on the part of people—a popular phrase is “I don’t want to get involved.”

Wow! That was written decades ago, yet more true now than ever! When most newspapers are hard to read as both hate and apathy are constantly put before us—along with conspiracy thinking and gross tragedies due to continual killings done through “sick reasoning.” (We can be thankful, this newspaper majorly holds back on that.)

My soul is fired up to spread love. As a child, a poem, by C.T. Stud, on my dresser mirror read, “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

No matter what happens, let’s be lovers of life, caring about others. We do not know what is going on behind their front door. Christmas lights may help some hold on to the hope that it won’t be their last.

Joy Le Page Smith, MA, is a Board Certified Clinical Chaplain. Visit Healing-with-Joy.com for Joy’s blog along with many helpful articles addressing life’s difficulties. Her books and blogs are read in up to 32 countries.