Visting With the Suffering

I was recently asked to visit a man in a local convalescent hospital as a staff pastor. The request came from a younger man who had and continues to have weekly visits to this confined man.

I discovered the man has been in the facility for six years or longer due to a stroke that has him limited in speech and movement. He is without speech and ability to move. My first visit I introduced myself and spent a few moments in solo conversation with some eye movement acknowledgements. I prayed with him and did my best to bring encouragement to him and left feeling heavy hearted for this incapacitated man. The stroke had damaged his physical body heavily.

By my next visit I learned to arrive after a certain time when his wife would be at his side to be an intermediary. She had a very bubbly personality in spite of the situation. She was using a walker herself but no mention was made of her personal health. She spoke well of the facility staff and gave me more detailed information about her husband who had suffered this stroke incapacitating him.

He was a retired Navy chief, served our nation with an impeccable record. It was obvious she was very proud of his military service. He had followed his service with being a civilian employee for the Navy still served in the Fleet Reserve. The Mrs. shared many things about family and faith. Theirs was a long term marriage, I believe she told me near 60 years. She always had a positive outlook in our conversation. I also note that she had gone through medical issues herself, among them was a diagnosis of Lupus. But her focus always returned to God and the life they had lived together.

They don’t let the disability stop the family from assisting other veterans. They provide several items each year to these service members who need a loving touch at a veterans housing facility nearby. On my last visit I saluted this faithful serving warrior and thanked him for his service after praying. He appeared to be touched by this simple gesture. Acknowledgment is in the form of a slight head nod or eye movement. She affirmed his pleasure of such action. His spirit still lives in spite of what a stroke has taken.

I do not pretend to understand why good people suffer, but I can pray that God will speak to their souls and assure them of His love and peace. The only thing I can conclude is that God is sovereign and knows what He is doing. We must surrender to His will and way.

Each time I leave his bedside, I depart with encouragement and words of gratitude for taking time to come by for a visit and prayer from his faithful wife.

Writing and Reading

Significant and relevant writing is a greater challenge today because of all the new technological advances that are available. All our transcripts must be read to be critiqued. The critique should reflect an in-depth understanding the position of the author. This of course is a complicated position to put oneself in. It is easy to take something out of context as is often done.

The subject of your writing must appeal to the audience you are targeting. To attract an audience there must be a hook to draw them in. This is a difficult task to accomplish but if you are directed by God to put forth the work then it is a matter of their decision whether to read and assess the document or not. No one forced against their will can be receptive to words on paper.

As I have grown older my selection or reading material has narrowed considerably. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy deviating from my norm occasionally, but it definitely has to be the right time and subject. The hook for me is often stimulated by other tasks I’ve been assigned or directed towards by expressions of family and friends. My mind is stimulated by different things at different times. This is a pattern of maturity or narrowing of interests due to life’s progress. We may often be influenced by events surrounding us or effecting us. Opinions can often be persuasive to becoming a determent of our own development.

Our futures have been shaped by our life experiences. Every event of life presents challenges to expand knowledge and compassion.

The writings vary with fictional to nonfictional subject matter. At times the fictional can be analogous to real life situations.  This is often a challenge to the mind to sort through fantasy and truth. Fiction may be the course some pursue to escape the real world they feel is pressing in on them. Nonfiction may have to be fact checked to be certain of its veracity.

What is the measure for truth? Sometimes truth is structured from our past experiences and personal family life, other times it is often influenced by peers and social connections we make in our journey through life. Ultimately the truth must come from a source beyond human expectations— I believe truth is the Word of God [Bible] as affirmed by Jesus who is Truth. With this statement I will doubtlessly lose many readers. In effect that is what my opening declared.r