‘Joan is in hospital. Please pray for her.’ Sarah read the words on the church notice sheet. She did not know Joan well, but had spoken to her occasionally while having a cup of tea after the service. Joan was a frail, elderly woman. She came to church on her own and very few people seemed to talk to her.
Sarah made a note to pray for Joan but wondered whether there was any more she could do. She had not been a Christian long and was quite new to the church, but remembered a sermon a few weeks before. ‘I was sick and you visited me’, the preacher had quoted from Matthew 25. He had also said something about if we do it for others, we do it for the Lord. That sounded good to Sarah. In her new found faith she was keen to do something for the Lord. She mentioned to one of the elders that she would like to visit Joan. The elder seemed pleased, but gave Sarah no advice on visiting.
Unsure and nervous
Sarah planned to go on Tuesday afternoon. She had never been in hospital herself and never had cause to visit anyone in hospital, so she felt unsure and nervous about what to do. She thought that she would like to take Joan a gift and had heard that quite a lot of people take fruit and flowers into hospital. Thinking that Joan might have some of these already, Sarah bought a bookmark from the church bookstall. She hoped that Joan would like it.
