Pastor's Corner: Showing honor and being honorable

The Bible instructs us to: Romans 13:7 - "Pay to all what is owed to them: ... honor to whom honor is owed." Romans 12:10 - "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

On this past Wednesday, we all had an opportunity to show honor to our veterans on Veterans Day. I hope that each of you took advantage of the opportunity to show honor to the veterans in your life. Both my father and my brother were career - 20-plus-year - U.S. Air Force enlisted men. My two sons served as enlisted men in the U.S. Navy: my elder son for three years and my younger son is completing a six-year enlistment. I, myself, served as an enlisted man in the U.S. Navy for five years (1986-1991, during the Desert Shield/Desert Storm era). So our family has a rich military heritage - and on Veterans Day I made sure to show honor to my dad, my brother and my two sons.

On this day Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, I would like for us to show honor to another group of people. These people have been working diligently in our community, being honorable, for the past eight months specifically. I'm talking about our health care professionals: our doctors, surgeons, nurses CNAs, and all of the personnel who enable them to perform their jobs well. This group of people have been and are being honorable, and embody these Scriptures in the Bible: Acts 20:35 - "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Matthew 7:12 - "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Proverbs 3:27 - "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it."

I am so thankful for this group of people and their service to the weakest among us, the sick and the diseased. So many of them, even though they have been taking all of the necessary precautions, have still had to deal with being sick with COVID-19. Why? Because they were being honorable by: helping the weak; giving; treating others the way they would like to be treated; not withholding good when it was in their power to do good. I want to encourage each of us to show honor to the health care professionals that we know and are aware of.

Three years ago, I underwent a spinal neurosurgery. I was in I.C.U. for three days and the hospital for eight more days. My neurosurgeon ended up saving my life by identifying and treating a huge pulmonary embolism that I was unaware of, in addition to performing the necessary neurosurgery. The nurses who treated me were gentle, kind and yet firm when they needed to be - like when they had to begin to elevate my back after two days of being flat on my back ... painful ... or like when it was time for me to begin going to the bathroom on my own (I had gotten lazy ...).

The CNAs were patient, loving and careful as they bathed me, clothed me and, when I was able, walked me around the neurosurgery ward. The food service and cleaning personnel made me feel like a king, ordering my food and allowing me to have a say-so in the cleaning of my room. My 11 total days in the hospital was the best that it could be, under the circumstances, because of them. Why? Because they were being honorable.

Nowadays, I serve as the chaplain at the Northern Montana Care Center. Due to COVID-19 concerns, I have not been able to hold religious services there since Sept. 23. I look forward to the time when we have had 14 days without any new cases, when I can resume services there. In showing honor to our health care professionals, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the group at the Care Center that I am a part of - the Activities Team. Rachel, Cheyenne, Mindy and Kayla, you are some of my heroes, and I so enjoy getting to work alongside you in providing hope for the residents through the activities that we plan and implement. I show honor to you for you have been and are being honorable!

--

Written by the Rev. Edroy "Curt" Curtis, president of the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association; Northern Montana Care Center chaplain and lead pastor of Havre Assembly of God Church