Today, I need to be reminded—reminded of LIFE! Today, I need to remember LIFE! Today, I need to live LIFE!
During the past weeks, we have been facing death here in Spain. Perhaps you are facing the same sad reality in your part of the world.
The grim statistics climb by the minute. From the time I begin writing this story until the time I will publish it, the statistics will have increased. How is it possible?
This morning, the Worldometers read 475,703 Coronavirus cases in the world and 21,358 deaths. This afternoon, it reads 503,274 cases and 22,342 deaths. Just in the span of a few hours.
I Choose LIFE!
Whether it be the Coronavirus, Cancer, or Cystic Fibrosis, death seems to fill my personal news broadcasts right now. It seems to be an hour of death.
“No!” I hear myself saying loudly—in resistance. “I choose LIFE!”
Yesterday felt like a dark day of death. It was heavy with grief and sadness.
I was called to do Arabic translation for a dear friend, a woman from the safe house I work with. She has become like a sister to me, and I love her deeply. These immigrant women rescued from the streets have no family to support them. They have lost everything. The women and workers in the safe house become their only family.
My friend had an appointment yesterday morning with the oncologist to know if her breast cancer had spread. We had just discovered two weeks ago that she had aggressive malignant tumors throughout her chest and lymphatic system. Things didn’t look good.
As we awaited the news of her final results, I received a text from a friend in North Africa. We had been praying for one of his colleagues for several days. She was hospitalized, in critical condition, with a serious lung infection. The doctor had said she had hours, maybe days to live.
We had been praying for a miracle.
The text shared the devastating news. This friend had passed away yesterday morning.
Unanswered?
Unanswered prayers or the sovereignty of God? I hold on to my faith and trust in the sovereign plan of God—one that is beyond my understanding.
Just minutes later, the verdict fell for my dear friend from the safe house. It sounded like a death sentence.
Her aggressive cancer had metastasized—invaded and taken over her entire body. It had reached her bones and lungs.
“We don’t know how long, but she has very little time to live,” the doctor told us solemnly.
Just moments later, I received a text from another friend.
“We know several people with the Coronavirus whose condition is very serious. Sobering.”
Here in Spain and in the rest of Europe, we are constantly receiving texts asking for urgent prayer for friends, family, and colleagues who are infected with the Coronavirus or experiencing other tragic life circumstances.
It doesn’t seem to stop.
Remember Life!
Although yesterday seemed like a day of death, I am reminded that today is a day of LIFE. It is a day to celebrate—to remember LIFE, to live LIFE!
I don’t know who (maybe you?) needs to hear this story. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I need to hear my own story—to remember, to recall.
In any case, whether for you, for me, or for someone else, I woke up this morning feeling led to share this true story.
Twenty Years Ago
Exactly 20 years ago today on March 26, 2000, I gave birth to our second son, Robert, in Paris, France, where we lived at the time.
The birth went well, but the afterbirth did not. Having a rare pregnancy condition called placenta accreta in which the placenta embeds deeply into the wall of the uterus, my body did not expel the afterbirth. Large placental fragments remained in my uterus, causing severe hemorrhaging and infection.
I went into septic shock.
Exactly 20 years ago, I laid in an ICU room. My husband, the doctors, and the nurses all thought they had lost me. My body was dying. My two little boys had no idea what was happening to their mother.
In desperation, my husband called someone at our church to ask for prayer. A prayer chain around the world began.
It spread like wild fire. There were hundreds—maybe even thousands—around the world praying for a miracle.
They were weaving hearts around the world in prayer—for me.
A Healing Miracle
I’ll never forget the moment. It is hard to express the divine in human words.
The presence of God descended upon me in that ICU room. I felt His presence in a very real and tangible way. It was if the strong, loving arms of God wrapped around my entire body.
I thought God was coming to take me home, but instead, He laid His healing hand on my physical body.
Something happened! Something changed at that moment!
I felt an overwhelming peace. My blood pressure went up, and my body began to fight the infection. God saved my life.
The next morning, the doctors and nurses came into my room and kissed me. This does not happen in the French medical culture between doctors and patients!
“We thought we had lost you,” they all said.
Not Always
Just like I am telling you now, I told them the story—the story of the power of prayer and the story of God’s healing power.
They believed my story.
God does heal.
I know that He doesn’t always choose to heal, and I don’t understand why.
I lost my little sister at the age of six. I lost two babies in my womb. I lost my best friend to cancer at age 12. I grieved with dear friends over the loss of their children to meningitis, infection, stillbirth. I watched my son’s best friend
No, God doesn’t always choose to heal, but He still does choose to heal.
He healed me 20 years ago. He healed the hole in my son’s heart. He healed my son’s nodules in his thyroid. There are so many miraculous stories that I could share!
God does heal.
God does answer prayers.
What I Do and Don’t Know
I don’t know if he’ll choose to heal my friend of her cancer.
I don’t know if and when God will halt the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and heal the world.
But, I do know one thing.
I’ll keep asking. I’ll keep begging. I’ll keep pleading. I’ll keep knocking. I’ll keep praying. I’ll keep hoping. I’ll keep longing. I’ll keep believing.
I don’t choose death today.
I choose LIFE!
Will you celebrate with me?
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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What can you remember to keep believing and choosing life—even when you are surrounded by death?
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