They sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him …

Job 2:13

He was lying in the hospital bed surrounded by friends and family. It was this way every evening since that bed had essentially become his home. He was dying from cancer and none of the treatments had cleared it from his body.

Being surrounded by people who love you can be a great blessing, but some of the visitors didn’t know when it became too much.

His wife talked with me, their pastor. I agreed to come to his room every evening about 9:00 and read Scriptures to him. I would enter the room and ask the visitors to allow me some quiet time with him. They always complied, and he would fall asleep as I read to him from the Psalms.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give a person is our quiet presence at their side.

Terry Buethe
Gretna, NE

Wise Father, give us Your wisdom as we care for hurting people. Amen.

Reflect: Be present with people in distress. Learn to feel comfortable in the God-filled silence.

Read: Psalm 46 (especially v. 10) and Psalm 62