Anna had never felt so alone. Her husband, Herman, needed minor surgery to repair a hernia, but the fact that he also suffered from Alzheimer's made it anything but minor. The doctor had just visited Herman's room and informed her that after surgery they would have to put her husband in arm and leg restraints. They were concerned he would wake up disoriented and pull out his IV, or harm himself in some other way. They didn't have enough staff to keep someone at his bedside throughout recovery.

Anna tried to envision the restraints that would hold her husband immobile….The image tormented her….What could she do?

A few moments later, Anna turned when she heard a knock at the door of her husband's hospital room. Mike and Carol were 30 years younger, but over the last few years they had become good friends through their involvement in the same home fellowship group. Carol noticed the stress in Anna's eyes and was finally able to draw out the cause for her concern.

Mike and Carol had no idea what could be done either, but they were on their way to meet with the group and promised Anna they would share her concern and pray about it.

Almost an hour later the phone rang, and Anna grabbed for it before it awakened her husband.

"Oh good, you're still there." It was Carol.

"After we prayed for you tonight, someone asked why they couldn't just have the nurses keep an eye on Herman. When I explained that the hospital didn't have the staff to do that, she asked if group members could do it. Everyone thought that was a great idea, and people started volunteering to take time slots. Anna, would Herman have to be restrained if we had someone in the room with him every moment during recovery?"

"I can't ask you people to do that," Anna said, overwhelmed by the offer.

"You haven't asked, —we're offering. Can you find out?"

Anna put down the phone and walked out to the nurses' station. When she returned she told Carol that as long as someone who was awake and alert was with Herman, he wouldn't need to be restrained. Before she could add, "But I don't want you to go to all that trouble," she heard Carol relay the information to the group. The cheers in the background were all she needed to hear.

That night more than a dozen people volunteered for around-the-clock shifts at Herman's bedside while he recovered. When family member heard what Herman and Anna's friends were doing, they volunteered for shifts as well. For the next three days someone was at Herman's side. As a side benefit, Anna had constant companionship through her long hours at the hospital.

A few weeks later Anna tried to thank the group for their incredible demonstration of kindness. Every time she began to speak she was freshly overcome with gratitude. Though everyone in the room appreciated how deeply it had touched her, no on felt like it had been a great sacrifice. They simply had wanted to help a friend through a tough spot.

That group had discovered the simple power of "one anothering."