There is a little boy, just under the age of four, who has
an autoimmune disease. This week, he
will be having surgery to remove a gland I don’t know the name of, in hopes
that he will begin to heal and to live a more full life. These past couple of days he’s been in the
hospital with an IV treatment that keeps him latched to his bed in the evening,
limiting his mobility. His blood pressure
has skyrocketed and his pulse has plummeted.
The poor boy is stressed out and his body is reacting to his stress, in
ways not unlike adults. I cannot imagine
he really understands the situation, intellectually, but emotionally, he
does. He gets a couple hours a day to
play with cousins before he goes to sleep, but the adults who surround him
watch with deep concern for his health and well-being. They are afraid.
I cannot fully comprehend how deeply this
child understands his illness nor can I imagine the level of concern the adults
in his life are bearing. So we
pray. We pray for the child, for his
parents, his large and loving extended family, for the nursing staff, the
doctors and surgeons, for the volunteers and the food workers, for all whose
lives are touched by a boy in a bed who is ill.
O Heavenly Father, surround the hospitals this night with
your loving embrace. Give hope and peace
to those who wait. Give clarity and calm
to those who provide care. Give rest and
good medicine to those who are in beds.
Be with the children, especially, as they struggle with unfamiliar
emotions and fears. Calm their hearts
with your abiding love. Amen.