By John Sanders, LUKE CEO

I recently visited the Retreat at Church Creek with Chaplain Solhjem and Chaplain Kitchens. Chaplain Tom Solhjem, Major General, U.S. Army (Ret.), served as the 25th Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Army, and Chaplain Randy Kitchens, Major General, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), served as the 20th Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force and the 2nd Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Space Force. We met with Pastor Greg Surratt to explore how we might all work together to benefit church leaders, the people in the pews, and the communities they serve.

Pastor Greg started the Retreat at Church Creek to give pastors a place to connect with others who understand what they carry – similar to peer support for veterans. Every participant has opportunities to stay connected after the retreat because a few days away cannot answer every need a person has been living with. In a published interview about Church Creek, Pastor Greg said that among pastors, “the most healing thing you can hear is, ‘Me too.’” As I have learned from my own experiences, it takes courage for one person to speak honestly before another can say those two words. There is also no weakness in that honesty, and there are warfighters, veterans, and first responders who need to hear that truth.

During the visit I also attended a dinner to raise money for Church Creek. At each table there was a series of cards with words written at the start of the retreat and three days later. On arriving, one of the pastors wrote, “I don’t know if I’m truly loved by God.” Think about the loss of hope in those words, especially coming from a pastor. Even though I don’t know anything else about his story, it brought me to tears to imagine that someone called to care for others had arrived unsure whether he was loved. Three days later, that same pastor wrote, “I’m learning to receive God’s love and to care for my own soul.” The change from that loss of hope to learning to receive love is just one story in a long list of examples that demonstrate the impact of Church Creek and help explain why the work being done there has become so deeply personal to me.

The words on that card also raise a wider concern. Being constantly needed is a reality of a life of service, whether as a pastor, warfighter, law enforcement officer, healthcare worker, or in any number of other callings. Being needed can give a person meaning and purpose, but something precious can be lost when it becomes the primary way they identify who they are or understand whether they matter. In those instances, rest can feel like neglect of others, and asking for help can feel like letting down the people who count on them. Human flourishing therefore must include care for the person behind the role, whose health and relationships matter even when no one needs anything from them.

We eventually found ourselves asking: If you could live your life over again, what would you do differently? We talked about three answers that have stayed with me. We would take time to reflect more, risk more, and do more things that would live on after we are gone. For those who serve others, reflection means asking whether you have left room to receive care, to be present with people close to you, and to notice when a calling has begun to consume you so you no longer find joy in your calling. The true power in reflection is therefore in the choices we all can still make.

Since I believe deeply in the work Pastor Greg is doing, it is easy to commit resources to a partnership before I know what it might become. The real risk comes from asking how much time – our most valuable resource, and something we can never get back – I am willing to commit. If I am willing to step out of the boat and take that first step, how will I respond during the ensuing storm? Will I keep walking or will I look down and sink? If not for a time such as this, when?

This all leads to what will live on after we are gone? For all of us sitting at that table, titles have ended, yet the desire to serve and have an impact burns as strong as ever. Who knows, maybe our best years are ahead of us…and that is very energizing! What is clear is that the possibilities we discussed have the potential to impact millions of people. It left me pondering is that worth pursuing as something that will live on after us?

We still have work to do before we know what will result from that meeting in Charleston. However, as I continue to reflect, I keep returning to the pastor who arrived unsure whether he was loved and, three days later, wrote, “I’m learning.” One thing is crystal clear. I do not want to reach the end of my life remembering how deeply those words moved me in Charleston and wishing I had done more than give my admiration. I am therefore committing my most valuable resource, my time, to partnering with Pastor Greg to help people flourish so that they live well and finish strong.