Several years ago, after one of my many foot surgeries, I was working a weekend day shift as the chaplain on duty, driving my motorized scooter to get to various locations in the hospital. Preparing to visit a female patient on a medical-surgical unit, I slowly maneuvered my three-wheeled vehicle into the room, and through the expressions of shock and disbelief, an immediate connection existed! Both of our left legs were wrapped similarly in blue-layered plastering, forming a cast that went from below our knee down to our toes. Observing this physical similarity, this served as a starting point for our discussion.

            Whether it be with a patient, family member, or a colleague, these God-given, ice-breaking times in our lives offer opportunities where we can probe beyond the surfacy talk and relate on a more intimate level. I honestly believe that our Lord grants us these chances to view life from a similar perspective with a complete stranger. It also knits the members of His family together, intertwining our journeys as a reminder we are never alone in what we are encountering.

            Father, in the moments where we feel so alone or interact with other lonely souls, encourage us to seek out others who are traveling similar roads. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.