My sister has had many health issues over the last several years. A few weeks ago, it was necessary for her to be hospitalized because of continuous coughing that began to contain blood. She was initially placed in ICU because blood oxygen levels were low. Treatments also included antibiotics for some wounds on her skin. After several days, we - in her family - were all encouraged when she improved enough to be moved to a regular hospital room.
During this time, I asked friends and my support groups at The Fellowship, like elders, LIFE Group and church prayer team, to pray for the healing for my sister. How comforting it was to know so many were lifting her before the Lord for healing. Our Lord says in His Word that “nothing is impossible with Him.” (Luke 1:37)
One day, some two weeks into my sister’s hospital stay, my brother-in-law told me that she had become very discouraged and wanted to give up. To cheer her up, I had the idea of asking my prayer partners to each make a short video or audio recording about praying for her and to send it to her cell phone. How it encouraged me when so many responded by sending her messages of loving concern!
Several more days passed with little-to-no health improvement. Then one Sunday morning, while I was attending a worship service at The Fellowship, my sister called. “I am scared,” she whispered since her voice was not that strong. I hurried from the worship center to a room with a little more quiet and spoke words of encouragement to her and prayed with her. Her fears were real as she told of being scared of not healing or returning to full health, scared of not making it out of the hospital, scared of dying! It was very disheartening not to be able to comfort her in person as I live several states away.
The days that followed brought little improvement. In fact, dialysis had to be introduced to help my sister with kidney function.
Then last Saturday morning, I got the message from my brother-in-law that they were taking my sister back to ICU. She could not swallow and her breathing was labored. In the early afternoon, she was moved to hospice care. After a short consultation with my wife, I decided to jump on a plane and hopefully arrive to see my sister before she passed.
When my nephew picked me up at the airport late that night, I was expecting to go directly to the hospital. He said, “Do you want to go to your mom’s house or your brother’s to stay the night?”
“Neither” was my reply. “I want to go to the hospital to see my sister.”
“She passed a couple of hours ago,” he said sadly. My nephew did not realize that I had not gotten that message! My reaction was great upset, even anger that I did not make it in time to say goodbye.
It was a blow to realize that God’s plan for healing is not always the same as our plan. We often pray for physical healing for loved ones. Sometimes they recover … and sometimes not. This time my sister did not. She had prayed with me, so I have hope that she put her faith in our Lord and is forever healed in Heaven.
Our God is Sovereign, Holy, Just, and Loving. Even in my grief, I will praise God for the huge blessing of many years with my sister. I will miss her.
And it shall come to pass that everyone
who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Acts 2:21
