Jb 38:1, 8-11
2 Cor 5:14-17
Mk 4:35-41

The readings from Sunday June 21, remind me of the stories of people who have asked me to pray for a miracle for them as they dealt with the various physical challenges which brought them to the hospitals where I have worked.

Today one such story stands out in particular. The patient was a young woman whose name was Tony. I was at the bedside of Tony every three weeks when she came in for chemo therapy for her lung cancer. The cancer came as a surprise as no one in her family history had cancer. The lung cancer was a shock added to the surprise because she was the picture for healthy living, because she hadn’t smoked, hadn’t hung around folks who smoked etc.etc. She was a strong believer in prayer and a regularly attended church gatherings, she was in essence a “holy woman.”

She was an amazing woman and in the midst of her goodness, cancer took over her physical body. Much like Job we said the right prayers, held our hands open trusting in God. Much like Jesus asleep in the boat, Tony’s support team would try to wake Jesus up with a lamentations and prayers for cure and healing.

When Tony died there were many faithful friends who wondered if Jesus decided not to wake up to the needs of this faithful servant. There was no Lazarus addendum to Tony’s physical life she left behind a husband and several young children. She believed so firmly that Jesus would heal her that she pushed aside people’s suggestion that she stop having children.

I am sometimes left wordless with the many Tony’s with whom I have spent time; especially if it is their first life encounter with the story of Job. Perhaps this is exactly where the sleeping Christ has the opportunity to heal the Tonys with whom I work, in that place where words cannot touch the power of God’s presence.

As this new week unfolds I will seek to make way for the ever present grace of God to have voice.