Another part of ministry we have been doing this month has been hospital visits. About once a week we head to the same hospital that we pray at in the morning. We divide among groups and go to different wards of the hospital to pray for people.
I want to share two stories from this month at the hospital.
The first time I was there my friend Madison and I went to the women’s ward to pray for people. At the last room, we visited we met a woman named Maria. She had a pretty rough infection on her foot. I was caught off guard for the amount of joy she had. Her smile was radiating despite the amount of pain she was in. Madison asked if she knew Jesus. She said that she grew up in a Christian home but hadn’t accepted Jesus as her personal Savior. We asked if something was keeping her from making that decision. What she said next broke my heart. She said, “I think my foot is infected because God is punishing me.” Madison was able to share scripture to prove against that, and with the encouragement, she shared Maria decided she wanted to accept Christ. We prayed for Maria, prayed for healing in her foot and shared more scripture.
The 2nd story is from last week. Madison, Adria and I headed off to the children’s ward. I was excited to pray for little kiddos and headed there expectantly. When we arrived, we noticed two empty rooms. At first, I was disappointed to see no kids in the hospital and then realized how much of a blessing that was. As we kept walking down the hallway, we got to a room holding four babies all under one-year-old. We asked the nurse what was wrong with the babies and she said it was the malnutrition room. As I took a look at the babies, I noticed how small they were for their ages. I spent most of the time we were in that room rubbing the backs of the twins in the room. As we were getting ready to go, I prayed for them but barely made it a few words without starting to cry.
The Lord used that moment to tell me something about my future. I have always had a heart for children and justice. I never thought adoption would be part of my story. I never thought I would be a good adoptive mother or could handle it. God told me in that moment of praying for these sweet babies that I will one day have the opportunity to change history for a kid like this. I have no idea what it means, but I’m leaning into the truth of being adopted into God’s family and therefore leaning into what it would mean for me to one day adopt a baby.
The reality of the World Race is we see some pretty broken stuff. That day in the hospital broke my heart, but God reminded me that I have a heart for equality and children. I cried that day wondering and asking God why in the world these two precious 11-month-old babies were in the hospital for malnutrition?! The amount of pain and poverty in their life thus far broke my heart.
I don’t have all the answers. I can’t give every malnourished baby I see food. I can’t do a lot of the things I wish I could to bring immediate help to those around me. All I can do is pray. Pray for provision. Pray for healing. Pray that Holy Spirit will work in people’s lives around me. It’s all I can do so I’ll keep doing it.
Scripture of the Day :
“For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)
Song of the day – Jesus, You’re Beautiful
