When God goes beyond Religion; The Lady on the Gurney A USAF Reserve Chaplain’s Story: “Ministry Happens”

A few years back, I was doing my reserve duty at my assigned air force base.

I was getting ready to head out for lunch when my boss, the Wing Chaplain said to me, “Hey, we just got s call from the base hospital.  There is someone over there in need of a chaplain.  Can you go over there?”

So I rushed over to the hospital, and up the floors to the OR.  I walked in and the doctors were standing there in their scrubs, pointing to me to go in the next room. 

I walked in and saw a lady on a gurney, all prepped for having surgery.  She was in distress.  She was very scared, anxious and nervous about having surgery. 

I did not know if she was in the Air Force, or a spouse, or a civilian employee...it did not matter.  She was in distress and I was there to try and help / minister to her. 

So I walked up to her, and took her hand.  We immediately connected.  I introduced myself, and she told me me she was very afraid.  We then began to do “breath prayer”.  This is where you breathe in good thoughts, the light and power of God, (visualizing it like golden warm light as you inhale) and breathe out your negative thoughts, visualizing them like black smoke as you exhale.  You let the fear leave your body, and with in inhale breath you take in God’s love and peace and let it flow throughout your bloodstream and body, feeling its healing and loving power.

We did this together for about ten minutes, and then she was very much calmed. 

When she told me she was ready, I walked out of the room and told the doctors ‘all OK’.  As I walked into the hallway, I felt this had been a very holy moment.  This is why I became a chaplain!

As I came back into the base Chapel, my boss asked me how it went.  I told him, and he said, “Oh, I forgot to tell you, she is Muslim”.

I paused.  Hmmm.  It did not seem to matter.    Sometimes, the Spirit works beyond religion, or religious differences that is.  This was one of those moments.  Ministry happens.

A couple three weeks later at the base Chapel, in walked a tall female sergeant.  She came up to me, gave me a big bear hug and said hello.  At first, I did not recognize her.  It was the lady on the gurney!

We talked, she was active duty.  She had converted to Islam as her husband was Muslim.  Over the next few years I would see her around the base and we always had a special connection. 

In the military, one of the great things about chaplaincy is the diversity of people we get to meet, work with, learn from, and serve / minister. 

And sometimes, God goes beyond religion (religious differences) and ministry just “happens”!