A life-changing moment.

I went to hospital yesterday morning to pray for a friend's mom who's dying of nose cancer. I had to put on a mask, put antibacterial foam on my hands before entering the ICU room. My friend's mum reached for my hand and I held hers and started to pray for her while trying very hard not to cry. Later that same night, I received an sms from the friend saying that her mom had died.

It was my first time praying for someone in the final stages of life. I am still shocked at how calm I was when I held the hand of my friend's mom to pray for her. She was conscious and could hear me so I just prayed whatever came to my mind.

I felt I had to impress on her about God's love and God's eternal presence with us. I prayed for healing, peace and comfort and for strength for her and her family.

After my prayer, she kept saying she wanted to move forward - and we couldn't understand what she meant. Well, she's definitely in a better place now, Amen.

For myself, I don't think it will be the last time that I will be praying for people in such difficult times so I guess there's always a first time.

Will probably write a long piece about it in my prayer journal as a form of closure, I guess.

Still, at such times like this, 99% of whatever I consider important in my life recedes and I am left with God and God alone. That is life-changing.