Looking for the One Who Feels Abandoned

David was a patient in a hospital room next to the one I was visiting. He had been in a coma for several weeks. He was injured in a four-wheeler accident and had lost half his body weight due to his injuries. His blood was septic. Medically, there was no hope. When I entered the room, the blizzard of tubes and monitors was overwhelming. David’s girlfriend, Jeanne, came almost every day and stood by him for hours. I asked her if I could pray, and she agreed.

The moment I closed my eyes, I “saw” David alone in the woods, looking lost. “David, I see you standing in the woods, feeling lost and alone. But God has not abandoned you. He is right here. He sent his Son, Jesus, to give his life for you. He loves you, and he has a name: ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.’”

When I said, “Holy, holy, holy,” David flinched. It was almost imperceptible. Then, in the corners of his eyes, it looked like tears were forming. “David, God wants you to know he is holy, holy, holy.” This time there was no mistake; his arms moved. I repeated it over and over again, and each time his body responded. Then the healing power of God was released like a shock wave. David’s entire body pulsated. I briefly shared the gospel and said, “If you would like to invite Jesus to be your Savior, to forgive every sin, just squeeze Jeanne’s hand.” He squeezed.

“Jesus hears the cry of your heart. You are forgiven and set free by the one who is holy—the Lord God Almighty!” His eyes opened. He looked at me, and then he looked at Jeanne. Suddenly, he began to claw at the restraints. He was trying to get out of bed! The night nurse swept away the curtain. She glared at me and announced that David’s pulse had just doubled, and I needed to leave.

In the hallway, Jeanne told me David often spent days alone in the woods. She had been praying that he would regain consciousness and have one more chance to give his life to Christ.

When I arrived the next day, I was devastated to see David once again unresponsive in his bed. I asked his nurse for an update, and her eyes lit up. “He’s not in a coma. He won’t stop trying to get out of bed. We finally had to sedate him!”

Within a few days, David was standing by his bed. A few days after that, he walked down the hallway. His doctor said no one had ever recovered from this condition—until David.

How do you look for the one who feels abandoned? Remember the times you have lost hope. As you do, God makes room in your heart for someone else’s heartache. He releases compassion. In your quest to look for the one, set aside time to listen to people’s hearts, help financially, serve practically, walk with them, hold them. When you guide them to the Cross, Jesus ministers to their pain in ways you cannot.

Lord Jesus, there is someone who feels abandoned. Open my eyes. Give me your compassion. Teach me how to love like you do.