First Hospital Visit

I will return in my next post to the topic of motivations for our obedience to God. I want to share some thoughts tonight on my first hospital visit, from today. I was sitting in my office this morning having my devotions and studying the Bible when I got a call from the local hospital. They called to tell me that a man from my church had been admitted to the hospital yesterday. This man is an older gentlemen with a great Jesus story, so I prayed and decided that he would love a visit from me, the new Pastor he has only ever met a few times (this man is older and serves Jesus many Sundays at the local mission so he only attends my church a few times a year when he is healthy and not serving in the mission). I called an elder and we decided together that we would go and visit him before lunch and hopefully catch him before he eats and takes a nap (I figured he would be taking an afternoon nap, since I know if I was in the hospital I would be taking an afternoon nap). So I picked up the Elder and we went in together to visit this gentlemen and experience my first time visiting a child of God from my faith community.

Let me tell you it was an amazing experience and a true blessing for me. My Elder and I prayed before we went in to see him that we would be an encouragement to him and bring him some joy. I know God heard our prayer because as soon as we walked in the older gentlemen was smiling at us. I went in to bring him some encouragement and I did, but he also brought me much encouragement. I talked with him for awhile as some nurses came and went and every time he was joking with them and thanking them. I prayed with the older gentlemen and we talked for awhile about what God is doing in his life and also what God is doing in my life and the life of the faith family. His lunch was coming in right after I prayed for him so I went over next to him and told him we were going to leave so he could eat his lunch and then take a nap. The gentlemen grabbed my hand and said, "Pastor Jeff, thank you for coming to see me. You made my day and you were a servant of God in bring me joy. I knew when I had the hospital call you this morning, you would come and see me". That is a line that I will not forget for a long time. I went in to bring him peace, joy, and love from God and in turn this man brought me peace, joy, and love from God. He ministered to me as much as I was able to minister to him.

I pray to God that every hospital visit is like that and I trust God that when He calls me to the hospital to minister, He will be ministering to me just the same.