Providing Comfort in Crisis: Chaplains Corner

By: Craig Maart

I recently visited a guy in prison whose father died unexpectedly two months after he was sentenced.  This was devastating. He was not able to go to the funeral but was only given a badly recorded video to watch weeks after the service. When I asked him about how he is processing his father’s death, he said  “It doesn’t even seem real”. He told me he would start dialing his father’s number, then stop because he remembered his dad is no longer there.  

Recently a chaplain ministered to a driver who was involved in a bad incident that was not his fault.  After the incident, this driver was required to take some time off. He rented a car to drive across the country, alone, to get back to his family. Imagine being involved in an incident where there is a loss of life and then spending a few days driving all by yourself. Our chaplain was able to stay in contact with this driver in the few days it took to drive home. The driver was so appreciative someone cared enough to keep calling and listening as he kept processing the mental images of the incident and praying with him.  

The worst thing that can happen to a person who has experienced trauma, no matter who’s at fault,  is to be alone. Isolation is terrible. Being connected to your family, friends, and a caring community of people is essential. Our chaplain made sure this was happening to the driver.  

It is situations like this that prove the benefits of having a chaplain in place. A TFC Global chaplain is there when you need one. No driver or employee in the trucking community should ever have the horrible feeling they can’t see or call someone who will be there with them.  

To find out more about our chaplaincy services, go to www.tfcglobal.org or contact Craig Maart at craigm@tfcglobal.org. We want to be there when you and your people need it.