My First Honor Walk

Solemn… it was not a normal day at the hospital. It was quiet on the second floor. Busy, but quiet. A lot of people, but amazingly silent. Today would be my first experience with an Honor Walk. An honor walk is a day when a person has gone to be with the Lord. This person had chosen beforehand to donate their organs to others waiting for these precious gifts. It is an extremely profound day for the organ donor’s family, and also a day of rejoicing for the recipients.

On this day, the halls were lined with nurses, doctors, staff and other dignitaries from the community. They were here to support the grieving family. The doctor assigned to procure the organs was called and would be available at 10:00 am. I arrived at 8:00 am to observe the visiting chaplain, Vinay, a senior chaplain from Fort Worth, who would facilitate the Honor Walk. 

As the morning progressed, I watched how everyone knew their roles and executed them perfectly. One nurse had been there since 5:00 am in preparation for the coming event. Vinay was gracious and actually spent time encouraging me. I watched him talk to staff as he made final preparations for the walk to come. 

This Honor Walk was particularly meaningful because the donor was deeply involved in our city. He was a young husband and father who left behind a shocked wife and precious twin children. Watching the mom love, encourage and console her children moved me deeply. The way she displayed her faith was amazing to watch. She demonstrated the spirit of the Lord.

As the halls eventually lined with people, the walk began. Vinay led a team of honor guards through the halls and stopped for a moment of silence and prayer. Over the next few hours, many anxious people would receive a long-awaited gift that would extend their lives. Heart, kidneys, lungs and liver would all make it to people who had been praying for this moment—and today was the day. As the prayer was concluded and the donor’s body entered surgery, my mind was racing. The experience was profound and beautiful for the observers. This generous believer arrived in heaven, yet his memory will live on in the bodies and lives of the recipients. 

My prayer: “Thank you, Father, for the opportunity to witness such a beautiful and life-changing gift. Dear Lord, be with the family in their grief and give them fond memories of such a wonderful Christ follower, husband, father, servant and friend.” 

This experience has transformed me and is etched in my heart forever. Supporters lined the halls, and the presence of Jesus was apparent in this majestic procession that honored the deceased and inspired the living.