1 Corinthians 13:4-7Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
On September 5th, we learned that loved and treasured baby Isabelle had many life ending problems. The specialist said she could only live for a few months and suffer or be stillborn. It’s been the love and support of the Lord, coming through our church family making the tragedy of Isabelle’s illness and death something we could endure with hope.
Mark 2:1-5
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
We’ve discovered how the man on the mat felt as his friends worked to remove the roof and to be prayed for by the Lord.
On Saturday after the doctor’s visit, We went to see my sisters in Christ at our meeting (our group that is primarily prayer and service). I explained to them in great, emotional tears what the doctors had said about Isabelle’s health. After I had finished speaking, I saw my 11 sisters wailing. Not giving a tear, but wailing as I had wailed. I was astonished. My sisters (we are Anglican and to say we are sisters is unusual in our church history) said that we would not do this alone, never alone. One of my sisters, Lynn, was a neo-natal nurse, said she would take off work and nurse Isabelle during the duration of her life.
We received prayer from wailing women for healing and miracle intervention, overcome with grief as I was. We received practical and truthful advice from someone with knowledge. Isabelle and I received more than that; we received such love that after receiving devastating news about my longed for and loved daughter. I felt hope. I knew this was something very important in my life, and through eternity, I would not forget this group and the prayers. I realized how that man had felt as people moved to bring him to the Lord.
I John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Our pastor visited and we agreed that now was the time to put our prayers before the Lord. Our pastor set aside time to fast for Isabelle.
We began to pray. We asked my church family to pray for Isabelle, we asked the Lord’s complete healing. We asked the Lord that Isabelle would not know suffering and pain. And our church family made sure that we were lifted in prayer.
Psalm 130
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
Josephine came and took us in her large van, very slowly to church on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s church meeting was amazing to us. Our church is preparing to move into new building, so on Wednesdays we meet at another church’s services and combine our groups. We knew Josephine was going to pray for us, but when we arrived about 12 more people had arrived than we expected. Deb and her husband, are in charge of our prayer ministry, Deb was very, very worried. She told me that the Lord had put on her heart to begin our praying group with her saying to me something that she really wouldn’t want to say to someone. Deb said the Lord wants us to know that He loves us and loves Isabelle very much. The Lord wants us to know that He forgives me. I burst into tears. I understood not only am I someone who relies on Him for grace, but also my reading and concern the previous night was Psalm 130. Also, the man on the mat brought to Jesus for prayer by his friends had been told by the LORD, he was forgiven.
As the group began to pray for Isabelle, Isabelle began to kick more than she had ever done in her life. Not frantic kicking by any means, but to let us know forever that she had heard and been blessed.
James 5:14
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
On days that Josephine wasn’t transporting us, she called to pray for us. Karen arranged prayer partners to come to our house on Mondays and Fridays. On Mondays, Karen, Melanie and Sandy came to visit and pray for a couple of hours. On Fridays, Dee and Cindy came over; we would sit, they’d place hands on Isabelle and me and pray for a couple of hours. The phone rang a lot and people offered prayer and food. Our friend Dilly arranged the communication and food, calling us all the time.
Hurricane Ike intervened and soon the entire community was without phones and electricity. So, after the hurricane people came by to see if we were home, sat & prayed in a home rattled by the hurricane and without electricity. The church offices were destroyed, people began to clean them. Our house was a mess after some hurricane damage and storm preparation, you know their homes were a mess too, but still we were loved, cared, and prayed for. The Lord is good and his people act for Him.
The men of the church worked to support my husband. Kirk replaced our hurricane struck air conditioner for cost. When our mattress was ruined, Bruce brought us another one. When Edward had a birthday and we were so sad, Bruce, Kirk and Gary worked to make his birthday dinner a kind and memorable one. When Gary saw we’d spent too many evenings at home, he and Jane took us to dinner.
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