I Love Hospital Visitation—Sort Of
It's sad, routine, and sometimes very sweet.
by Joe McKeever
January 1, 2004
When did you learn to love visiting people in the hospital? I enjoy everything about pastoring but that."
Carl had returned to the local seminary for a postgraduate degree following a three-year pastorate in another state. When he and his wife Pam joined our church, he asked if I could mentor him. In our first session, he confessed to disliking hospital visitation and asked his question.
That got me thinking: When exactly did I start loving hospital visitation? Or have I started?
I admit that I enjoy getting out of the office for a couple of hours, and sitting in the corner of the hospital cafeteria with a cup of coffee and the magazine I've carried around for days trying to find time to read.
I like the people I meet in hospitals and have even reached several for the Lord and our church. But do I enjoy ministering to the sick? To tell the truth, I rarely think of it that way. I'm just calling on friends who are going through tough times.
Today, as I write this, I spent time with 5-year-old Nicole who was lying on the bed in Children's Hospital in a room crowded with two grandmothers, two aunts, an uncle, coloring books, get well cards, and assorted medical paraphernalia. Her right wrist sported an IV, but otherwise she looked fine and felt great, even though the doctors threaten to run more tests. We laughed and I drew pictures for her and we prayed. And for this I get paid!
Across town, 85-year-old Clarice is recovering from hip surgery as well as the broken arm that doctors had just found from the fall that sent her to the hospital in the first place. As I stuck my head in the doorway, a nurse and two family members were tending to her. She brightened up as she caught my eye and said, "I was just talking about you. I knew ...
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