Caregivers and Jurisdiction

07/22/22 • 8 min

In the 1985 Western Silverado, Sheriff John Langston (played by British actor John Cleese) obligingly led a posse after two brothers following the breakout of one from the town jail. While chasing the men (whose crimes were questionable), the posse rounded a bend to unexpected gunfire from one of the brothers' companions. As his deputy urged them to push on by yelling, "... they're almost out of our jurisdiction," a bullet clipped the sheriff's hat and sent it flying.

Turning his horse around, Cleese states in his wonderfully clipped British accent, "Today, my jurisdiction ends here!"

Returning to town, Sheriff Langston lived to fight another day.

Sometimes, our jurisdiction as caregivers requires reassessing. Many can recall feeling pressure (either from others or ourselves) to "right a wrong," seek satisfaction or try to force an issue. Yet that pressure can lead us outside our scope of responsibility. Leaving our territory can easily result in unpleasant circumstances – for us, our loved ones, and others.

At times, the temptation to chase after the "...ones that got away" can feel compulsory. In those moments, we serve ourselves well by asking, "How important is this?'

Addressing that question helps reestablish our jurisdiction – and can allow us to fight another day.

“You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.” – The Gambler, Don Schlitz

Turning his horse around, Cleese states in his wonderfully clipped British accent, "Today, my jurisdiction ends here!"

Returning to town, Sheriff Langston lived to fight another day.

At times, the temptation to chase after the "...ones that got away" can feel compulsory. In those moments, we serve ourselves well by asking, "How important is this?'

Addressing that question helps reestablish our jurisdiction – and can allow us to fight another day.

“You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, And know when to run.” – The Gambler, Don Schlitz

Previous Episode

A Gracious Word In Weird Moments

From our July 16, 2022 program.

Have you ever had someone say something strange, insensitive, or even weird to you - and a flood of responses immediately filled your mind? Sometimes, we save ourselves from unnecessary drama when we "bite our tongues and learn to like the taste of blood!"

But it can torque our brain to do so ...doesn't it? Who knows, though - we may get a funny story out of it that brings laughter years later.

Next Episode

Interviewing Author, Pastor, and Caregiver, Robert Morgan

Drawing upon nearly 50 years as a teaching pastor and 25+ years as a caregiver, Rob Morgan brings a wealth of understanding and experience to today's challenging issues.

Following the death of his wife, Rob candidly shares his thoughts and experiences while anchoring himself and others in the Scripture. Teaching on the book of Revelation, Rob recently authored THE 50 FINAL EVENTS IN WORLD HISTORY. In this new book, Rob shares how he draws encouragement from this book that confuses and even frightens so many.

(www.robertjmorgan.com)