I couldn't make this up.

Last Saturday evening, Christi and I left our women's conference to go and visit another friend of ours and her husband.  Dave and Edwina were at Emory University Hospital.  A major opporation had been performed on Dave's lung and they were trying to get his pain levels under control before releasing him.  Hours before we arrived for our visit with this wonderful couple, the Lord had given me specific instructions for how our visitation was to go with them and also that we were to visit with other patients as well.  As the emotions of excitement and nervousness welled up inside my chest, I was overtaken with amazing joy.  The willingness of my dear friend to go with me into these strangers' rooms was especially comforting and I knew God had something amazing in store for us.

The hospital was marbled with beautiful architecture and stained glass.  It was not your typical setting, at least on the main level.  As we made our way down the hall, Christi following behind me, I felt a hand push on my arm.  I turned to ask my friend what it was that she needed to which I received a very confused look.  "I didn't say anything."  She replied to my question.  "Oh, you just touched my arm, I thought maybe you needed something,"  I said.  "I didn't touch your arm either," came her response.  "Huh?  Weird," I said as I slowed my pace.  "Uh, Joy, we just passed the doors to the hospital chapel when you asked if I touched your arm,  maybe we should go in.  The Lord may have something in there for us."  Half expecting ghosts to be flying around with hands pushing us around, my mind reeled.  We slowly opened the doors.  Nope, no ghosts, in fact the place was empty, phew!  I could now put down my pre-dialed phone to the ghost busters. ;-)  The chapel was small with dimed lighting, coated in church burgundy (you know the color I'm talking about), and a huge bible placed on a pedistal with a bright spot light alluminating it's words.  Christi immediately went to the scripture while I roamed around, looking at the different pictures and the guest list.  She brought me over to read the passage that the large bible had been opened to.  This was the verse that stuck out to us:  Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."  For us it was confirmation that we were there to visit more than just our friends.


We visited with Edwina for a while and it was wonderful to see her smiling face.  Dave was off getting x-rays so our time with him was short but very sweet.  Before we left, we gathered in a circle to hold hands and pray over Dave's recovery and the Lord wanted to hear us worship, so we sang:


When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

• Refrain:
  It is well, with my soul,
  It is well, it is well, with my soul.
• My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
  My sin, not in part but the whole,
  Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
• And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
• The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
  The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
  Even so, it is well with my soul.

It was angelic.  The hospital walls echoed of his praises.  Tears of joy flowed from our faces and Christ's love spilled out into the hallway.  As soon as we finished, we had one of the other patient's family members come in and thank us for doing that, for he was very blessed and touched.  His mother-in-law was in the room next door recovering from a major surgery as well.  Pat Freeman is now on our prayer list and we know God will do great things for her.

As if that whole scene was not enough, God had more in store for me and Christi, something even more amazing and wonderful, more than our hearts could image.  

I am out of time, and must be off to pick up my daughter from school as well as get dinner prepared.  I promise I will write again soon.  You won't want to miss what's coming up next!