Praying for Henry
Henry is a young person, a very young person. He is an infant and will complete his first year of life this month. It's difficult to say he will celebrate his first birthday, because Henry has had a rough life. How rough? Premature at birth with underdeveloped lungs and Down's syndrome for starters, in addition to surgeries, Henry has been frequently in and out of the hospital, usually in the emergency room and intensive care, throughout his first twelve months.
Superior quality of medical care and surrounded with the stalwart love of family and friends give Henry a fighting chance. Of course, Henry is not passive. He fights, literally, everyday for his life. The whole matter is so sad, so tragic, so frustrating, so unfair. Questions of why this is happening pile up each day and family structures are stressed to their max. It is inconceivable how the life of Henry (and all the others like him) will not permanently alter everyone who encounter him and his status in life.
Henry's grandmother is a member of the church where I serve as pastor. She has a heavy heart. She worries incessantly. Only people in similar situations can begin to understand the toll it takes on those who sit and wait for good news, any good word. As in every family system spirituality varies from individual to individual. It is no different in Henry's family. Among those who love him are people who believe in God and others who have a hard time believing in God. Henry's struggles aggravate those who question God. They tire at hearing from those who proclaim God's love. They seem convincing in their arguments that a loving God would not permit this to happen.
It gets more complicated. Praying people solicit prayers from other people. Praying people contend it works. Praying people believe God hears prayers and responds. Non-praying people wonder why it's not working in Henry's case. Even praying people, in their own prayers, pray to God pleading to have some sort of divine sign to show love to those in such great suffering. Praying people inform God that this would be a wonderful opportunity to show how powerful and loving God truly is. So praying people pray and they pray and they pray.
Praying people flounder in their conversations with unpraying people because the preached method for improving the situation seems a clear failure. Eventually, the faith of praying people is tested and praying people, with great guilt, begin to pray less. Conversation with the One gets put on hold until the praying people are convinced there is any reason to "keep praying." Surely the Tempter gloats at the confusion.
Last weekend Henry had an especially life threatening few days (again). Gathered at his cribside the vigilant caregivers were prepared to lose Henry. News spread throughout modern technology to keep everyone informed. Praying people prayed, and non-praying people did not pray, as everyone acknowledged the helplessness of it all. Hours became days and more hours became nights. Days and nights. Praying people lost their focus as to what it was they really were praying for (healing or peaceful death?) Non-praying people shared the same concerns.
Both sides, all sides, were united in the sense that there was no longer any control left to be exerted. Henry was alone in his fight. Those standing vigil were alone in their vigilance.
One morning the cardiologist summoned the family for a meeting. Henry had somehow survived the night and was actually improving. He was moving around and even kicking his legs, an incredibly good sign the doctor said. There was no explanation for the totally unexpected turnaround. The word "miracle" was not used, but the doctor said, "someone must be praying for this child."
Grandma wisely tells us that we are "not out of the woods." She also wants everyone to know that although she was about to give up on God, clearly God was not about to give up on her. She asked for prayers for Henry. I assured her we will pray. There was great comfort in her voice and heart in learning that people she knows and people she doesn't know will be praying for Henry. Pray for Henry.
Superior quality of medical care and surrounded with the stalwart love of family and friends give Henry a fighting chance. Of course, Henry is not passive. He fights, literally, everyday for his life. The whole matter is so sad, so tragic, so frustrating, so unfair. Questions of why this is happening pile up each day and family structures are stressed to their max. It is inconceivable how the life of Henry (and all the others like him) will not permanently alter everyone who encounter him and his status in life.
Henry's grandmother is a member of the church where I serve as pastor. She has a heavy heart. She worries incessantly. Only people in similar situations can begin to understand the toll it takes on those who sit and wait for good news, any good word. As in every family system spirituality varies from individual to individual. It is no different in Henry's family. Among those who love him are people who believe in God and others who have a hard time believing in God. Henry's struggles aggravate those who question God. They tire at hearing from those who proclaim God's love. They seem convincing in their arguments that a loving God would not permit this to happen.
It gets more complicated. Praying people solicit prayers from other people. Praying people contend it works. Praying people believe God hears prayers and responds. Non-praying people wonder why it's not working in Henry's case. Even praying people, in their own prayers, pray to God pleading to have some sort of divine sign to show love to those in such great suffering. Praying people inform God that this would be a wonderful opportunity to show how powerful and loving God truly is. So praying people pray and they pray and they pray.
Praying people flounder in their conversations with unpraying people because the preached method for improving the situation seems a clear failure. Eventually, the faith of praying people is tested and praying people, with great guilt, begin to pray less. Conversation with the One gets put on hold until the praying people are convinced there is any reason to "keep praying." Surely the Tempter gloats at the confusion.
Last weekend Henry had an especially life threatening few days (again). Gathered at his cribside the vigilant caregivers were prepared to lose Henry. News spread throughout modern technology to keep everyone informed. Praying people prayed, and non-praying people did not pray, as everyone acknowledged the helplessness of it all. Hours became days and more hours became nights. Days and nights. Praying people lost their focus as to what it was they really were praying for (healing or peaceful death?) Non-praying people shared the same concerns.
Both sides, all sides, were united in the sense that there was no longer any control left to be exerted. Henry was alone in his fight. Those standing vigil were alone in their vigilance.
One morning the cardiologist summoned the family for a meeting. Henry had somehow survived the night and was actually improving. He was moving around and even kicking his legs, an incredibly good sign the doctor said. There was no explanation for the totally unexpected turnaround. The word "miracle" was not used, but the doctor said, "someone must be praying for this child."
Grandma wisely tells us that we are "not out of the woods." She also wants everyone to know that although she was about to give up on God, clearly God was not about to give up on her. She asked for prayers for Henry. I assured her we will pray. There was great comfort in her voice and heart in learning that people she knows and people she doesn't know will be praying for Henry. Pray for Henry.
posted by Joe Marek | 9:11 AM
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