Purposely, a woman walks into the large warehouse items store to pickup her mail-order, yet to her great disappointment, the item she's ordered has not arrived. That's when her emotions spill out and keep spilling. "I have cancer" she says so loudly that everyone on that side of the store hear and look her way. I watch as two women prayerfully clasp their hands. I'm praying already too.
Her arms wave and she exclaims that she needs her mail-ordered item (that is no where to be found). She exclaims, "Where is the manager? I have to speak to him right now!" The staff whisper onto their mobile microphones and a giant of a man glides in front of her saying, "I'm the manager. How may I help?" She is livid and her voice is even louder as her anger heightens.
The giant manager man's eyes soften as she yells out the problem she's facing. His shoulders slump toward her and he kindly repeats over and over, "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry this is happening to you." He's sorry and we feel we must hold back our tears for her, not give her a hug, and not even extend a gentle pat on her shoulder. We stand ready with these but her anger has not finished.
All we can do is listen with soft eyes and hearts filled with Christ's love for her. And we are still praying. We understand that she's doing her best during awful days and we do our best to allow her dignity not to be marred. She's the warrior in the midst of battling cancer and we take our direction from her. Love her.
Christ's true love, is in that warehouse store. For, in an event like this we've been prepared by God's Word, we are guided by Holy Spirit, and kind hearts stand ready to help and pray. "I have cancer," she says and hearing those spoken words over a hundred Christians respond that day. I am witness to this. We are prayer warriors.
With you in Christ Jesus, Rev. Walker
Rev. Patricia E. Walker, AlphaChurch.org
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then He put His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Luke 13:10-17
