Dr. Lloyd Storment, and my first Hospital visitation as a deacon.
My first week of hospital visitation came around the end of January. Four church members were in the hospital, including: Robin Riddle and Dr Lloyd Storment.
Robin Riddle convinced me to become a deacon. I went to visit her first and talked with her and her husband about how nervous I was visiting in the hospitals. I asked them for advice since Robin has been a deacon many times before. When I left her room, I conveniently only had to walk to another part of the same floor to visit Dr. Storment, but, thanks to Robin, I felt much more comfortable about the visit.
When I walked into Dr. Storment’s room, he was very happy to see me- he didn’t look sick at all! I asked him how he was doing, and exchanged the usual pleasantries, but he immediately deviated from my plan of discussing how he was doing, and proceeded to praise me! He told me how proud he was of my parents for raising me the way they did, how proud he was of me for continuing to go to church and for being a role model for others my age, and for my leadership in the church as a new deacon. He lifted me up in ways I cannot begin to describe in mere words. Dr. Storment had known me my entire life and had watched me grow up in the church. He was a minister at Broadway when my parents joined before I was born. Yet, the most striking thing for me was that he was the minister on call the week I was born, and was one of the first people to hold me as an infant!
When we had talked for a few minutes, he asked me if we could pray before I left. Knowing his background I asked him if he would like to pray or if he wanted me to pray, to which he responded that I should. I prayed for his health, and a comfortable recovery and especially for the people caring for him. When I had finished, he continued to pray! For me, for my wife and family members, for my continued Christian leadership and growth!
Looking back on my visit with Dr Storment, I can honestly say that I might have gotten more out of the experience than he did. I will miss his wonderful sense of humor, his loving smile, and his ability to reach people on the deepest level, even when he was the one in the hospital!