Days 244-246 – Slaying Our Dragons – Journal of Sacred Work

"Fairy tales don't tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." -G.K. Chesterton.

Dragons lived beneath my childhood bed. After the lights were turned out, they prowled the darkness, I kept my toy gun nearby ready to blast away if any of them attacked.

Of course, I knew that dragons weren't "real." But, it's funny what demons arise when we lie in the darkness.

When I was about seven, my father showed me a book that included the painting (at left) by Gustav Moreau. It was reassuring for me to know that dragons could be killed by skilled knights like Saint George.

Every patient comes to the hospital with some kind of dragon inside. We already know that. What patients hope is that their caregivers will be as skilled and courageous as Saint George – that they will slay the attacking dragon.

What may be less obvious is that every caregiver walks about with her or his own tribe of dragons inside. For dragons are nothing more than symbols of our fear.

Fright concentrates our energy on the negative. Love focuses our energy on God.

The most threatening demon for most caregivers is the one that scares us about mistakes. Ironically, the more we fear mistakes, the more likely they are to happen. The reason to treat patients well must be grounded in our passion to heal, not our fear or error.

We all need to travel through our work with the confidence of true knights. The gallant among us know they don't need to slay every demon. Sometimes the dragon will kill instead of being killed. The wisest knights know no fear because they recognize they are only called to do their best, not to be perfect.

God's endless energy enables us to live Love, not fear. It is Love that weakens the power of every dragon, not the sword.

It is good to know that dragons can be killed. It is gratifying that so many illnesses can be cured. It is better to know that true healing comes only through God's Love.

-Rev. Erie Chapman

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Categories: Reflections, Holidays, Spirituality

Tags: caregivers, dragons, Erie Chapman, G K Chesterton, God’s Love, Gustav Moreau

6 responses to “Days 244-246 – Slaying Our Dragons”

Sue

August 30, 2010 at 9:53 am

While seeing so many die of cancer and I prayed, then I felt that the sense of fear was not the suffering that occured or the treatment, it was of dying. When the individual prayed to God and asked for help, they released their soul and their fear was gone. I kept praying that they could be cured. But alas there is no cure for the patients we see in the hospital that are there for lengths at a time with us as caregivers. We are there for them when they have so much hope. We are there for their families when they are suffering over the loss of their loved one who fought so valiantly.

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~liz Wessel

August 31, 2010 at 12:30 am

What a wonderful post for today. One that stirs up so many thoughts and emotions within me. I tend to be a sensitive sort. This is in some ways my greatest gift and at times seems like my greatest weakness. Recently, I reacted to a situation and experienced a deep pain that was much more intense than the situation warranted. It caused me to take a step back to reflect upon its meaning. I came to realize that it had much more to do with events in my childhood than present day reality. My fears magnified by my imagination… I am grateful that I gained that insight. I thought to myself, how strange that these old hurts still live and can surface so intensely with such little provocation. I recognize that my vulnerabilities can seem like such weakness yet another part of me understands that therein lies my greatest strength. For I am willing to face my fears and slay them.
“Behind the hardness there is fear
And if you touch the heart of the fear
You find sadness (it sort of gets more and more tender)
And if you touch the sadness
You find the vast blue sky”
-Rick Fields

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ann kaiser

August 31, 2010 at 10:15 am

Oh I drag my dragons to work with me every day and at night, attempt to bed them down so that I can fall asleep. I expect that most of us do. Sometimes the dragons are in the fore front, large and intimidating and I find my self worrying and at other times they are only small shadows or almost gone, when I focus on..” Let go and let God” . My greatest triumph of slaying those dragons is when I get to do something for a patient, help them out in something. I walk away feeling that both our dragons are slain for the moment. I beleive this comes out of Love. Caring for someone, being a caregiver, like you said, it comes from love , not the sword. When we trust that God is leading us in Love, then we should face the dragon of the day without fear, but trust God has brought us to this moment to Live in Love and to do our best. Today I will be stronger than my largest dragon!!!!

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Victoria Facey

August 31, 2010 at 10:37 am

One of my favorite scenes in a few of childrens’ fantasy movies was in revealing that beneath the mask of the enemy – was often their own faces! Meaning, it’s important to acknowledge that sometimes we are our own enemies. Of course, this is always easier said than done. Cliché? Perhaps, but once you learn to step out on faith (in God and even in yourself), you are empowered. Learning to slay that Dragon and win the fight, if just to befriend the angry patient, or give dignity in an otherwise intimidating situation is a victory…

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Marily

August 31, 2010 at 12:36 pm

After reading and reflecting, I have imagined myself coming to work like a knight in a full shining armor, empowered ready to slay any dragons. 🙂
Only to be reminded that when we care for others in pain, sorrow, and fear, we do expose ourselves to face our own as well as partake of what they are having.
But having a firm founded belief, faith in His endless energy that we can use only for the asking, nothing can bring us down. Love conquers all.

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~liz Wessel

September 1, 2010 at 10:43 am

Upon additional reflection this morning…perhaps it is not so much that I slay my fears but keep my heart open…without judgment or guilt. I believe a compassionate response is a “seeing” beneath the surface to the heart of what is. Acceptance, for our mutual woundedness, and acceptance of the people we encounter who are suffering.
For some strange reason it can seem easier to label people, tell stories about them them, then to come in touch with the vulnerability it touches within us. I truly think that is when we slay our dragons. When we stop running to turn around and stand tall to face our fears with a tender and loving response. Ah, I think I am getting your teaching.
P.S. I enjoyed the reading these insightful rich responses from readers! Enriches the gift tenfold!

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