.iCare.

Every once in a while, I'd come across a patient who would inspire me.

Make me think about things.

Ask some questions to myself.

Ponder about life.

And write about it.

I took care of this particular patient, let's call them S, for 2 nights. During one of our chats, S told a story of why they were here in the first place. S began by telling me that (S) came to Texas for a prisoner who was to be executed. S was the prisoner's spiritual mentor, and the prisoner has requested to be baptized by S before the execution.

Almost a decade ago, S' heart was moved to write to someone in prison. After some research as to how this can be done, S got the information of this prisoner. So S began to write to this stranger several states and thousands miles away.

As letters were exchanged, they began to know each other. S said the prisoner was someone who had been hardened by many abuses and many hardships in the past. Through the years, S had became a friend and a spiritual mentor for this prisoner. So when the day came for the execution, the prisoner had requested S to come to pray and baptize (the prisoner).

However, through unfortunate twist of fate, S got ill and had to be admitted. Although S got to speak with this person through phone, the chance to meet was forever gone. Luckily, S had a friend in town who was able to visit the prisoner, prayed and baptized (the prisoner) before the execution. But still....

Can you imagine yourself in the prisoner's position?

Through all your years, life had been terribly hard for you. Abuse after abuse, failure after failure, and you never seem to catch a break. You thought your life was over the second you hear that death sentence. You waited in prison for the day they would come and tell you the day you will die. You thought no one loved you, no one cared. Until one day, you got a letter from this stranger.

Perhaps for the first time in your life, someone listened to you. Encouraged you. Did not judge you. Cared about you. Loved you. And most importantly, this stranger introduced you to Jesus. In the past, you must have heard about God and Jesus, but you didn't know what They are all about. But now you know, thanks to this stranger. And now you had been saved.

You know when the day came, you want this person who had become your mentor to be there. To finally meet the person who had given so much to you. To finally thank this person. To be baptized by this person. And the truth is, this person came for you.

Still, the two of you will never meet.

Can you imagine yourself in S' position?

You had your life, a good one, and for an unknown reason you got this urge to start a ministry by writing to someone in prison. You began with the first letter, not knowing what would come out of it, whether this stranger thousands miles away will respond--if any--to your letter. You waited, and maybe to your surprise, you got a reply in the mail.

You started to exchanged letters, to get to know this prisoner and the story of (the prisoner's) life. You kept writing, and you found yourself caring for this soul. You knew that that what this stranger needed was someone who cared and who had faith in (the prisoner). Before you knew it, one letter had turned into a decade of letters. You had become a mentor, a friend, a guidance to this person you have never met. You saw as this person changed and grew over the decade. You came to love this person just as your God loved you.

Then the day came, and as you had promised, you made the trip to finally meet this person you had befriended and were so proud of. Alas, life threw you a curve ball and you ended up in the hospital. You didn't get a chance to meet this person, only to hear the voice on the phone.

There is a sadness in this story, but there is a whole lot of greater joy. There is that disappointment that they couldn't meet at last, but there is a satisfaction in knowing that they will meet in heaven one day.

I thought about S. The choice that S had made to give, care, and love for an unknown person. More so, a person who had been branded by society and law as a bad person. Isn't that just amazing? 10 years. 10 years, S spent nurturing this person through letters. And through those 10 years, S brought this person from a dark place to a brighter one.

It made me think about if I have ever done something like that. If I could ever do something like that. Could I give a part of myself caring for another soul to the extend that S did? It's not an easy thing.

Have we done that recently? Or ever? I'm not talking about us googling "how to write to a prisoner" in the next 10 minutes and start picking up the pen like S did. It could be any kind of act or person, looking past their looks or actions, and just...care for them without hoping for any reward in return.

At the end of her story, S said, "Sometimes what a person needs is just someone to talk to, someone who would listen to them, someone who cares."

And S is right.