Some of my favorite reviews of my book are from readers who perhaps stumbled onto it or didn’t expect to enjoy it. The latest one on Amazon (where you can buy the Kindle version only; the paperback version is available here) is one of the best so far. It’s from a nurse with the screen name london68, who headlined it, “A must read for those who work in the healthcare setting.” How’s that for a recommendation?! The reviewer writes:

“I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Honestly, I purchased it because the author is a relative of a former co-worker and I wanted to support her work. I ended up thoroughly blessed by reading it. It IS spiritual, it DOES contain scripture–lots of it. But the author showed great spiritual insight as she doubted/evaluated/studied/prayed/lived life/did her job.

As a nurse who now deals daily with high risk and life changing situations (and as a former hospice nurse), her real life stories of her overnight hours as chaplain were very thought provoking. I was fascinated to “see” her Chaplain thought processes as she pondered how to handle each situation individually. I greatly appreciated her realization of the signs of burnout and the importance of self care. I think those of us who work healthcare ignore ourselves far too much.
I hope to see more of her work in the future!”

I’m pretty sure london68 is referring to my wonderful Aunt Sharon, who has worked in hospitals and was kind enough to recommend my book on her Facebook page. Her former co-worker bought the book just to be supportive (which I greatly appreciate) and “ended up thoroughly blessed by reading it.” Awesome! And I totally agree with london68 that those of us in healthcare need to be more aware of the signs of burnout and the importance of self-care. There’s a lot of that in the book!

For that reason and more, if you are or know someone who is working in healthcare, I hope you’ll get a copy of Being Called Chaplain: How I Lost My Name and (Eventually) Found My Faith. For those who work in one of the hospitals of downtown Charleston like I do, you’re invited to an author event I’m doing in just a few weeks. At noon on Tuesday, October 27, in the main lobby of MUSC‘s Drug Discovery Building, I will be doing a reading from the book and participating in a brief discussion of what chaplains do. You’ll also have a chance to enjoy some refreshments, buy a copy of the book, and get it signed by the author. This event is in recognition of International Pastoral Care Week – which is a great time to read and talk about the book in your own healthcare setting as well! If you need more information or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.