Make me a sentinel for your people in pain.
Your world is filled with anguish.
Where will you send me, speak clearly for me to hear;
Help me to listen for that still, quiet voice.
Grant me the knowledge and faith that my goal is the process, not the result,
For I am only the caregiver and you, Lord, have the cure.
Take away any thought of myself,
For dying to myself clears the way for others.
Keep my lips sealed from loose gossip.
Those entrusted to my care must have confidence in me.
Give me patience with the frail lives I meet,
And grant me a creative mind that will bring hope.
Allow me to know and accept my own feelings,
That I may see others without judging them.
Help me to know my own limitations,
Pride is my worst enemy.
Allow me a moment to feel the joy
That comes from being an instrument of your peace.
Michael Slayter is a retired veterinarian with a handful of years in private practice, 21 years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps and over a decade in various laboratory environments. He recently was approved by Central Florida Presbytery as a commissioned lay pastor, serving First Presbyterian Church of Kissimmee, Florida. He has been involved in Stephen Ministry since 2005 and lives in Kissimmee with his wife, Jane, of 45 years.
