By Thomas Kelly Russell

When my oldest son was young, we lived in a small rural community several miles from the nearest city. He had a small pedal tractor with a front-end loader that could scoop up loose dirt. One day, he was working on a project. He was determined that our community needed a two-story Walmart, and he would build one in our backyard! He worked for hours moving dirt from one location to another.  

That night, it rained. The next morning, my son discovered his hard work had washed away. He sat there looking intently at the loss of all those hours of work. I thought it would discourage him from continuing, but as we talked, he shared that he was modifying his plans and would get to work again as soon as the ground dried. My job was to sit with him in those moments, allowing him time and space to process what had happened and then listen to his plans moving forward.

I did not offer much advice but reminded him of his goals and provided encouragement. I also connected him with our next-door neighbor (who was a retired contractor and very much enjoyed the conversations about building in the following days). While the two-story Walmart was never completed in our backyard, building something and learning to navigate interruptions was important to my son because he still talks about that experience all these years later. 

Our mental health impacts how we think, feel and act toward others and the world around us. Spiritual care is an essential component of mental health as chaplains help people work to identify critical resources, explore and lean into their strengths and support systems and ground themselves in hope.

As a chaplain, I try to provide care, compassion and presence when people need to talk through the challenges of life. I spent several years working in hospitals, hospice, palliative care and grief work settings where trauma often appears in acute and enduring ways. I am now in industrial chaplaincy, where the goals of support are primarily the same but often include helping people address the meaning of work in their lives, navigating relationships with co-workers and the traumas that occur in the normal flow of life.

Purpose of work is often one of the most challenging aspects of workplace chaplaincy. As a chaplain, I help remind people of the reasons they come to work, how they can contribute to the continuous improvement of the work environment and how they can honor their faith in a way that makes the day meaningful.

People often talk about developing a work-life balance in our society, but much of life can be messy and spill over into the workplace. Industrial chaplaincy includes meeting people in that space where work and life converge and giving them an outlet and permission to speak and process their concerns. Chaplaincy can also help people learn to thrive by pointing them to resources that support their goals, helping them find contentment and assisting them to develop better conversational skills for workplace fulfillment.

As a workplace chaplain, I encourage team members and their families through hospital visits, support in times of personal crisis and connection with local religious groups and agencies for ongoing support. I celebrate promotions with them and allow them to talk through disappointments. I work closely with plant management, human resources and occupational health to help increase support systems for team members’ mental, spiritual and emotional health.  

Mental health concerns have been stigmatized in society for many years. Still, it seems that when we struggle, lose hope, wonder and come to the end of self is where we find the good news. Whatever we have been through or go through, we are not abandoned or alone. We have a Savior who knows us, really listens, and gives us one another for encouragement and building up.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Learn more about Spiritual Care Week here: https://www.spiritualcareweek.org/

Thomas Kelly Russell was a pastor for 25 years, a healthcare chaplain, and now serves as a workplace chaplain for Tyson Foods in Vernon, Texas.

Additional Reading: 

Spiritual Care Week 2023: Chaplaincy & Mental Health (Renee Owen)
Spiritual Care Week 2023: Welcome to Spiritual Healing (Angel Lee)
Spiritual Care Week 2023: Learn to grieve well (Cari Willis) Spiritual Care Week 2023: Towards Healing and Wholeness (Megan Pike)