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At an age when many people are getting ready for retirement, Bill Daniel felt a calling.
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“God just took me in another direction,” he said.
When he was 59, Daniel resigned his job as distribution manager at a college book store in Tennessee and enrolled at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., with his eye on chaplaincy.
In February, on one of the coldest days of the year, Bill and his wife, Pat, packed up and moved to Winona, where Daniel serves as a chaplain for Winona Area Hospice and Cornerstone Community Church, where he is also pastor.
Before he quit his old job, Daniel said, work consumed him.
His wife told him that every week his shoulders would droop just a little lower.
“The job kind of owned me,” he said.
Daniel was going through the motions, or as he put it, “Driving for retirement.”
But even if he reached retirement, Daniel was unsure he would be able to enjoy it.
Even on vacation, he couldn’t go more than a couple days without thinking about work.
He knows that the job wasn’t the only reason his work life was so stressful. His work ethic often kept him moving.
“I wouldn’t know when to stop,” Daniel said.
It was time for a change.
Daniel said he grew up in the Southern Baptist Church, but as he grew older, he decided it was time to “take ownership” of his faith. After taking some courses through the seminary’s extension service, Daniel decided to sell his home in Murfreesboro, Tenn., move to an 800-square foot apartment on campus and attend seminary full time.
His three years at the school were a “time of remolding,” Bill said.
The agitation and exhaustion he felt at work turned into calm.
Nearly six decades into his life, he was learning not to merely exist but also to enjoy life.
Even though most of the students who attended the seminary were in their 20s and 30s, Daniel never felt out of place.
On the day he and Pat moved in, other students asked whether they were helping move one of their children in.
He took the question in stride but told them he was the one moving in.
Daniel’s classmates and neighbors quickly accepted him, often treating him and Pat as surrogate parents.
There were times when five couples would pack into Daniel’s tiny apartment to play games, discuss faith and life or cook southern-style biscuits and gravy.
After three years and 82 course credits — 14 more than were required for his program — Daniel graduated with a master of arts in Christian counseling.
Chaplaincy was Daniel’s goal when he entered the seminary. After seeing the care and comfort hospice provided for his father, who died in 2002, Bill wanted to be part of helping the chronically ill through their end-of-life issues.
“Some people just want to unburden their hearts and their souls,” Daniel said.
Daniel tries to visit patients at home or wherever they choose to live out their last days — at least once every two weeks. Some refuse his visits, but he leaves the invitation open.
Daniel also offers bereavement counseling to families up to a year after a patient’s death.
One of the most rewarding experiences Daniel has had in his short time as chaplain is seeing parents in their last stage of life tell their children that they love them.
“To me, it’s a privilege to do what I am doing,” Daniel said. “I feel this is what I’m supposed to do.”
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Dawn Daniel wrote on Apr 10, 2007 3:18 PM: