Chaplain Jeanne

Seeking Direction from God “Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11) A young woman was in the hospital bed with her parents and small child visiting her. When I walked in, the father told me to sit down. He proceeded to tell me that they had a story to tell - even two stories. His daughter (who was the patient) was a rebellious teenager like her father. She left home and got pregnant. Upon returning home, her dog was killed outside her home. She was devastated. She went to adopt another dog. As she was driving to get one, she saw a buck in the road. She swerved and to miss hitting a tree letting go of the wheel and then taking it back again. She only swiped the side of her car on the tree avoiding a fatal accident. She had already decided to give her baby away for adoption and still held firm to those feelings. She did not want her child raised in a home (single mom) with her parents who fought all the time. He mother was a nurse at the hospital and her father had worked at General Motors and lost his job leaving him to take care of their own children. During all this time, the young girl was having counseling and had a couple ready who wanted to adopt her baby. They came to be with her during the labor and expressed that she was a strong young woman of which the father disagreed. (Actually, I was thinking the same as this couple did). The adoptive parents took the baby, but the young mother begins to have second thoughts. She went for further counseling to make sure she was not going to do something that was unwise, and decided to keep her baby. She took him back from the new adoptive parents after having held it for 4 days in their care. I thought how sad for them. I met this little boy a toddler, who was in the room at the same time of this story, and he was very cute little boy with large dark eyes. If we are open and seeking God’s will in our lives, he will open doors and lead us in life. He will walk with us in our journey and we need not fear and make bad decisions. If we make our choices based on His Word, we will be wiser. ©Rev. Jeanne McIntosh 2011

Chaplain Jeanne

Salvation is by Faith in Jesus Christ There is none righteous, no not one. (Rom.3:10) For by grace are ye saved through faith, not of yourselves...not of works. (Eph.2:8,9) Not by works of righteousness which we have done. (Tit.3:5) Met an elderly women who was probably closer to death than not. He son was present and we had prayer. He told her to remember what he has said the other day that it was not going to get better and then she needed to make a decision if she wanted to continue treatment and live in pain, or go on to heaven. He seemed to be less than gentle with her, and I interrupted to tell her again who I was and asked her if I could pray with her. I asked her if she loved Jesus and wanted to go to heaven. She said that she did. The son followed me out in the hallway and asked me if she seemed to be ready to go to heaven. Really, I cannot answer that question, as I did not feel knowledgeable enough to answer his question. I did say that she wanted to go to heaven and someone that was not ready may say something. I did not feel I gave him a good answer. I did ask him if he wanted me to go in again and talk with her. He did not. He wanted a chaplain to come again and talk with other family members who were not present at that time. One family member was saying that the patient would get right up and walk out of that bed, which did not seem very likely to me. He said they were unrealistic. If someone is ready to die, it is not always easy to know. At times, family interferes with these kinds of matters. Family members want to think the best of someone they love who is dying without realizing the seriousness of the soul and eternity. They would put them in heaven if they could. If a loved one attended church, worked for the church, was a pastor, sang, or whatever, that seems to make them think they are ready to go to heaven. Without repentance of sins, there is no remission for the soul. © Rev. Jeanne McIntosh 2011

Marriage

Met a man and his wife who had been married for 55 years. They had stuck it out through all the ups and downs. He said that she was his nurse. How lovely to see a marriage that has stood through the rough places and trials in a marriage.

Chaplain Jeanne

Met a man who was very discouraged in emotional pain. He had lost son several months ago in ER. HE could not understand God in all this although He trusts in God and knows he has a purpose. He cannot see it for he has had pain all his life since he was born and would like for once for have some relief in pain. Pray for this man.

Met another man who is going into hospice. He had been a pastor and preacher with two churches. His truest in God was apparent and he displayed a good countenance.

There was a mom having great sorrow due to daughter in the hospital. She had had surgery and needs chemo but must get others physical things taken care of first. She had leak in body organ that is in need of repair and needed another surgery as well. Had prayer with the mom.


A man wanted me to look at his large sore that all of the sudden appeared on his leg - it was terrible. He said that is what will kill you and I believe that. I am not sure how long and if he will make it, but he had trust in God he said - peace. It reminds me of sin that is left in the heart will eventually bring death if not taken out and forgiven.

Chaplain Jeanne

Patient (18 years of age) expressed need of someone to talk with. Begin crying as she shared how she was told, “You will not live until you are ready to die” She was frightened. Her boyfriend attended a church that she felt was judgmental towards her. She not attend as he did and felt she could worship God better praying to him alone than begin forced to do what they wanted her to do. She had begun having physical problems for a few months now and the doctors could not find out what was wrong. Her tongue and esophagus were swollen and she could not eat.
It reminded me of a story I had recently heard from James Dobson where this same thing happened to a pastor. He ended up with a feeding tube put in him. Later on a trip with his family the feeding tube got blocked and he cried out in despair to God who completely healed him right there. He had no one to turn to and was in a desperate condition. That was when God intervened for him.
I shared with the patient God’s love for her and that he gave his life just for her. I also shared that God does not punish us like that. Fear is normal, but God wants to give us peace through it all. She was so much better by the time I left.

Met a man in the hospital who said he was a Music Director for a good sixe church. He has 12 singers and 5 instrument players. The singers are on a rotating basis. His greatest challenge he said was working and doing ministry both for church and his family. He felt if the church could hire him full time that would make a difference, so therefore he had to work two jobs. Loving music (I understand here) he put himself into it taking time from family. His second challenge was working with the younger singers who were not as committed. He would receive a text or call they had a game, ect. He loved his work. The pastor likes to preach so he did not do musicals on Sunday mornings. The kids would do stick ministry in the church. He served for a congregation of about 400. He used mostly contemporary music with a few hymns and said they had been singing a lot about the blood recently. He watches the congregation and if things go well he goes with his plans; if not, he will add in a hymn. This seems to help apparently.

Chaplain Jeanne

A lady shared with me that she told her doctor she had a GREATER physician. He said he was upstairs.

Man went a used bookstore and purchased an old bible that was large print. He has read it many times and one day turned to the Old Testament and found 2 - 100.00 bills. WOW!

A patient had surgery and there were complication following the surgery. He got a blood clot. During this time, he struggled with wanting to be independent and leave the hospital against rules of the facility. One evening, he shared how his sister had married into money. They were millionaires. She had nothing to do with her brother who lived on a modest income. One day, he got into a fight at a bank and there was a restraining order placed against him. The church that he had attended all his life or for many years at that time got a new pastor. The pastor of the church had a family member who happened to be the one who placed the restraining order on him. Now he has to leave his church, due to the restraining order. Life is not always fair. We do reap what we sow, but God is not respecter of person’s He loves us all!

Chaplain Jeanne

A lady who was sick did not think God had time for her small prayers. She felt that he was too busy taking care of the large disaster type problems in the world. When I assured her he was, she still did not think he had time for so many small prayers. She was glad to learn that He did.

Met a young woman who had been sick for some time off and on in hospitals. She did not feel connected with her church and wondered if that was a good enough reason to change churches. She felt that she had not connected part with the others members. She could not do a whole lot due to being in the hospital and sick too often. She had to give up her job as a Social worker due to her health. She was seeking how God could still use her. Shared about my writing and the possibility of her finding another ministry where she could be a blessing to others. I mentioned how I wrote for a web site. It gave her some things to think about and she was appreciative.

One elderly lady asked if I would sing for her. I asked her if she knew Amazing Grace. She did not think she did. I started singing it and noticed her mouthing the words to the song. I sang three verses. She was so touched. I quoted her some scripture and talked a little while. She was blessed enough that made her spiritual care giver feel she had been used to meet a need. As I was leaving a staff worker said it was a beautiful voice. God had called me to sing and will give opportunities if we make ourselves available to his leadership.