First Things First

In the earlier days of my career as a teacher in small, rural Texas towns, it was often the case that faculty members became a positive part of the community by involvement in other non-job activities. In one community, a need arose for substitute ambulance drivers to supplement the emergency operations at our small one-doctor county hospital.

I volunteered, only to discover that in reality no one just drives an ambulance. One must be trained and acquire experience and a proper state license. So, I found myself at the next larger town enrolled in an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training program at the fire station. I learned much that I did not expect from that experience.

You see, in an emergency, both the victim and the would-be rescuer are dealing with great emotion and fear. Physical injury brings pain, often to the point that no rational thoughts are possible for the injured. But the rescuer must be rational, and recognize dangers, both obvious and hidden.

For sake of controlling fear and making good decisions, we EMT’s were trained to triage the situation using a simple anacronym, “A-B-C.” This allowed prioritization of need in a logical way, even during the chaos of an emergency. In other words, we were trained to recognize and engage the most important needs first. The letter “A” stands for Airway. First, make sure the patient can breathe. Nothing is more critical than that. The letter “B” stands for Bleeding. Bleeding must be stopped quickly! The letter “C” stands for Cardio. Is the heart pumping? Each part of the triage system then dictates practiced protocols for emergency treatment until a hospital could be reached.

A full and righteous life also depends on putting the most important life-giving considerations first in our lives. But, the noise of the crowd and fear can mask the most important things. A periodic spiritual and moral triage can be lifesaving!

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’…and the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” Matthew 22:36-40

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes 12:13.

 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

-Mike Chance