I Met A Person

I met a person in the hospital last week...

I encountered a very sick man. I know the man he is my cousin, Gerald. We grew up together, but like so many times life happened, and we only saw each other a few times a year. My cousin was diagnosed with cancer, to be specific a malignant brain tumor. He had surgery last week and now he is recovering. He was in pain with about 40 stainless steel stitches on the right side of his forehead about 6 inches long. It was jarring to the senses watching him, a very healthy young man of 43, laboring in his sleep. I wanted to help, to be of comfort, to heal the sickness. I wanted to lend a hand to feed him to offer my time to his wife and children. It was scary as I watched him sleep. His arms and legs would twitch and then as if re-living the anguish of surgery he would moan and writhe in pain in a fitful slumber.

I met a person in the hospital last week...I was not referring to my cousin asleep in the bed. Who I met was God. The Lord was there with me. So many prayers have been offered up to Him in the last week, since our family got the news about Gerald's condition. And in my fear I stumbled into the Lord. He had been there all along.

The Lord sat with me and Gerald in that lonely hospital room. The Lord held my hand as I held Gerald's hand. The Lord was my strength, when I helped Gerald out of bed to use the restroom. The Lord was there as I asked Him to bless the meal I was about to feed Gerald. The Lord would send the comfort of family and friends. As I sat for 3 days in that hospital room with Gerald, I met the Lord and He met me.

I met the Lord in a hospital room...I don't often cry, but I had a lump in my throat, as Gerald's little girls filed in and gave their daddy "sugar" a little kiss on his lips. The Lord was there when those girls undaunted by the massive wound on Gerald's head with 40 stainless steel stitches said "I love you daddy!" and then proceeded to climb into his arms. In that moment I became acquainted with my Father and I told Him I love you Daddy and without fear climbed into His arms.

I met the Lord face to face this last weekend and I was blessed beyond measure, sitting in a hospital room watching my cousin sleep. It was a worshipful time, a prayerful time. It was one of the best moments of my life. I thanked the Lord often in the last week, but I thank Him most of all for meeting me in the hospital room with Gerald.

A lot of folks have asked me if Gerald knows the Lord and if he is saved. I could not answer them with any certainty. But this I am certain of, the Lord was there....because He met me there.