Sometimes when I visit the hospital as a chaplain, I come away feeling that I haven’t really done anything of great significance that day. But on other days, it seems that every encounter is much needed.

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On one particular day, my first patient encounter was with a young couple in the paediatric ward, caring for their sick baby. They were so pleased to see me, shared what was happening, and asked me to pray for their baby girl.

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The second encounter was with an amazing foster mother who only cared for children with major disabilities. This time she was looking after a young boy who was non-verbal and had a severe intellectual disability. He was in a plaster cast from his chest to halfway down his legs. This single woman was remarkable, and I told her the world needed more people like her. She just wanted to chat and was so grateful for someone who would listen to her story.

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My next encounter was with a little girl who had suffered severe facial injuries in a serious accident. Her mother told me she had also experienced a severe concussion, a brain bleed, and a significant brain injury. Sitting with them was a young woman who had witnessed the accident. She had come to befriend the mother and sit alongside her during this time of great trauma. What a beautiful example of faith in action.

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