Problems are meant to be solved

“You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.”  Edwin Louis Cole

  “I can’t.” It can’t be done.” It’s impossible.” “There is no way.” “No one can do it.” “I’m dropping out.” “I’m filing for divorce.” It’s overwhelming.” “I’m walking out.” “I quit.” Over the course of the last week, you’ve probably heard or perhaps even said one of those phrases.  

  Life is a process: a complex ever-continuing, ever changing set of problems and difficulties. The choice is not – will you accept problems?  Problems are inevitable. The vital question is HOW will you face problems? Problems are a part of life. Even without the Fall and sin’s contamination, there would still be problems. God created us to “subdue” the earth (Genesis 1:28). He gifted us with intelligence and creativity so that even in that perfect, yet not fully developed world, we would problem-solve. The very first problem God gave Adam was a major one – one that most of us even today with all of our combined knowledge and tools of technology would be very intimidated by – what to name all of the animals? (Genesis 2:19).

  With as many problems as we’re all faced with, it seems as if there’s never enough time to solve each one without dealing with some adversity along the way. Life is so complex. Problems keep coming at us so fast that we find ourselves wanting to just quit often before we even start.

  Too many, when faced with a problem, are paralyzed. For some it’s ignorance, for others it’s laziness, yet we live in a world where far too many fail to use their God-given creativity and abilities. Part, too, is that of doting parents not wanting their children to suffer or be uncomfortable in any way, and fix everything for them. If a child starts a sport or playing a musical instrument that they want to play, yet then decides that practicing is too difficult or too much work, parents let them quit. Perseverance is a key ingredient when it comes to problem-solving. Then, we are too quick to ask for help, whether it’s Google or someone in authority, instead of putting out some effort to figure it out for ourselves.

  The results of lacking problem-solving skills are disastrous. It’s why teens drop out of school. It’s why adults quit jobs or bail on marriage. It’s why people leave churches. It’s that core problem of a lack of problem-solving skills. It’s easier to not try or just quit, but it’s very costly.

  This came home to me when I encountered a new problem I’d never previously faced. One of the wonderful responsibilities of a pastor is to meet with people and pray with them prior to their having surgery. Let’s face it. Most of us are a bit nervous if we’re facing surgery, even if the doctor says “it’s routine.” It may be her routine, but it’s not mine. Having someone anesthetize us or start cutting into parts of our bodies is not routine. Add to that “every surgery is minor surgery until it’s MY surgery.”

  This surgery was scheduled in the morning. The family knew I was coming. I arrived as I normally do about half an hour after the patient was instructed to be there. With changes in schedules, surgeries often happen very quickly and ahead of schedule. It was a small hospital so I didn’t anticipate any issues. I went to the reception desk and was told to wait, they’d let me know when I could go back to see the patient. Now that’s not routine for a pastor. Prep for surgery is fairly standard. The patient dons a hospital gown and lays in bed, as medical staff come in to ask the same questions the patient has been asked seemingly a hundred times before. If a certain appendage is being operated on, they mark it. Sometimes they’ll start an IV or draw blood. None of it is a big deal, particularly for a pastor.

  So I sat for fifteen minutes. I wish I could say patiently, but I wasn’t. I tried to text the family, yet couldn’t get through to them. I asked the receptionist what the status was…my impatience was beginning to show. She said that she’d let me know. She didn’t. I was concerned they’d take the patient in for surgery before I was able to pray with them, so I finally convinced her it would be good to check again. She did and I went back.

  For a pastor, this just doesn’t happen, particularly since the patient wants you there. I was not a happy camper. As this is not a hospital I often deal with and because I was so shocked, I called a friend who pastors in the area. He informed me that this particular hospital always makes pastors wait. On top of that, they have a poor reputation for communicating with pastors. Several times they’ve forgotten him as he’s waiting to see a patient and he has to remind them. It’s not a good situation.

  Like most pastors, I love to be there to pray with folk. Oftentimes, I find that they or their family are anxious. Pastoral care is a wanted and needed blessing. Most hospitals are begging for local pastors to assist with pastoral care and to be volunteer chaplains. They can hardly keep up medically and are thankful for assistance with the spiritual and emotional side.

  Since I’d seen the patient and I’d never been at this hospital for a pastoral call previously, there was high probability I’d never have to return. So I had a decision to make: Do I just blow it off or do I attempt to improve the situation for other pastors and patients? In other words, do I seek to problem-solve? To be honest, it’d have been easier to have just let it go, but I believed that would be wrong. So I called the pastoral care department at their main hospital.

  This is where you know that God was intervening. They had a new chaplain…who just happened to be an old friend of mine. We’d worked together in the past at another ministry. My friend was having major difficulties making some needed changes. This particular hospital had been problematic when it came to pastoral care. Not only was my friend very thankful for my call but asked me to consider being a chaplain at this hospital (It’s a bit of a drive and there are many other pastors that are much closer, but I’m now on the emergency call list.) Because I’m familiar with the area, I helped make some contacts to begin a chaplain program at the very hospital I’d just had so much difficulty with.

  It’s easy to get irritated and impatient (which I was wrong for doing) and complain. It takes creativity and wisdom to problem solve. Too often, even in the Church, we’re venters when God wants to use us as problem-solvers. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a spiritual matter. While we don’t want to be busybodies, many of us throw in the towel far too soon when we could make a valuable investment in the world God has called us to minister in.  

  Are you a problem-solver or just a problem pointer outer? God blessed us with intelligence, skills and creativity so that we can be part of the solution and use the abilities He’s endowed us with to better His world. A great resource from a Christian perspective that I found very helpful was Eating Problems for Breakfast: A Simple, Creative Christian Approach to Solving Any by Tim Hansel. 

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