Reaching out even when it’s awkward
It was the summer of 2017. I was taking a nursing class over the summer, trying to cut down on my workload during the semester. I had to interview someone in the informatics department about their charting system. Per usual, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and one of my nurse friends had recommended someone for me to interview.
After my interview, I hesitated. My pastor was in the ICU at this hospital. He had late-stage colon cancer and had been in and out of the hospital frequently. I could drop in and see him. Honestly, though, if I were to make a list of awkward social situations, visiting someone in the hospital is definitely in my top ten. What do you say? How long do you stay? Do they even want you to be there?
I went, ignoring my qualms. It was still quite early in the morning before they typically let visitors in. But they let me in. He was awake, and I explained why I was there and how I figured I should just stop in. I prayed with him. The awkwardness was practically dripping over the floor like an out-of-control coffee maker.
That moment stayed with me, though. A moment of kindness, prayer, and connection with someone who had been a spiritual leader for my entire life up to that point.
A few moments towards the end of my pastor’s life have stayed with me. The last sermon he preached…
