November 2008 Monthly Article: COMMUNITY by Rev. David Hay, CENTUS Counselor
COMMUNITY
by Rev. David Hay, CENTUS Counselor
The mission of CENTUS Counseling is to promote healing and wholeness in mind, body, spirit and community for individuals, families and organizations in the greater Denver area. What is community? For me it is the relationship that develops as we come in contact with others on a daily, weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis.
If we are whole and well ourselves, our encounters with others can be healthier and life-giving. Our contact with our immediate community, co-workers, family members, friends, and neighbors can be encouraging and uplifting. But we are in community with a broader base than these folks. What about the physicians with medical knowledge that we depend on for physical care when we are ill? What about the vet who helps with the health of our pets? What about the courtesy clerk who gets our groceries in the cart? All of these encounters provide an opportunity for giving a smile, a word of encouragement, a genuine “Thank You.”
Then there are those brief encounters that are unlikely to be repeated, if ever? The healthier we are in spirit, mind, and body, the more helpful and positive we can be when opportunities arise to be in community. This past week, I failed one and passed one. The first happened at the grocery store when an elderly lady in front of me turned around in line and asked me if I would open a jar of cheese dip for her. “Why, are you going to eat it here?” I quipped. “No, but I don’t have anyone at home to open it for me.” Gulp. I opened the jar, and wished her well.
The second encounter was in the parking lot of a medical center. As I walked to my car, a woman who looked pregnant was anxiously trying to get the alarm system on her SUV turned off. I walked on by, thinking, “Not my problem.” But I turned around, went back, talked with her a bit, and the only solution to come to my mind worked to turn the alarm off. She was thankful it was off, and I was thankful for having stopped. Was she part of my community? I think so.
The point is this, the healthier we are in the other areas of our lives; spirit, mind and body, the more helpful and life-giving our response will be to those we encounter in our community. If you or someone you know are “out of sorts” and not engaging others as positively as you or they would like, a referral or mention of the services of CENTUS Counseling might be a way for you to impact your community in a life-giving way?
CENTUS Counseling promotes healing and wholeness in mind, body, spirit and community; call us for the help you need at 303.639.5240 or visit us at www.CENTUS.org.
