When did you learn to love visiting people in the hospital? I enjoy everything about pastoring but that."

Carl had returned to the local seminary for a postgraduate degree following a three-year pastorate in another state. When he and his wife Pam joined our church, he asked if I could mentor him. In our first session, he confessed to disliking hospital visitation and asked his question.

That got me thinking: When exactly did I start loving hospital visitation? Or have I started?

I admit that I enjoy getting out of the office for a couple of hours, and sitting in the corner of the hospital cafeteria with a cup of coffee and the magazine I've carried around for days trying to find time to read.

I like the people I meet in hospitals and have even reached several for the Lord and our church. But do I enjoy ministering to the sick? To tell the truth, I rarely think of it that way. I'm just calling on friends who are going through tough times.

Today, as I write this, I spent time with ...