At our Hospice I am the only assigned chaplain, which means I am on call 24/7 with the provision that if I am not available I can decline the call or postpone the referral to a time that meets my availability.  The exception to this policy is when I am on scheduled time off (ie. vacation) and we have a volunteer chaplain cover only emergency calls that arise in my absence.  I have recently started dating and don’t want to have to “run out” on the person I am dating because of a call.  So I have begun to ask some of our volunteer chaplains to be on “stand-by” when I have a date scheduled so I can refer the call to them.

Yesterday just as I was leaving to prepare for a scheduled date I received an urgent request for a chaplain home visit.  I called the volunteer who agreed to cover for me and he prepared to visit the home.  I value the caring relationship I have with our volunteers that allow me to engage in important leisure activities and not have to suddenly be back on duty.  Out of caring for our patients and their families I would have inner conflict simply turning down a request.  By being able to refer a request to someone who has indicated availability, I can pursue personal experiences and not feel guilty for being unavailable.

I have learned that being on-call 24/7 is not as easy as it sounds.  Then I think about God, who is available 24/7.  God must be very powerful and constantly renewed in energy to carry out that level of availability.  Being human and needing rest and desiring to pursue personal goals; I need time when I can be unavailable.  The relationship I have started has boosted my energy level and creativity and is actually empowering my chaplaincy ministry and my personal fulfillment.  So I am learning being unavailable can be a good thing not just for me but for those I serve.  This is only possible through the cooperation of our volunteers to whom I am very grateful.