prayer – Wounded Butterflies

Last week, I shared with you part one of a true story about a single mom named Holly who had a very sick daughter, Gem.

At the hospital, Holly watched through the glass as the nurses plunged Gem into an ice bath to bring down the fever. One of the nurses yelled, “We are losing her!” Holly was shuffled to a waiting room as the medical team worked on Gem.

After what seemed to be hours later, a nurse came out and began to ask Holly all sorts of questions about Gem’s medical history, what Gem had eaten that day, what medication she had been given. Wait, medication. Holly had given Gem an over-the-counter pain reliever to help bring down the fever. The nurse asked the name of the medication and then ran back into the room. Holly did not even get an update on how Gem was.

Several hours passed, finally Holly was brought into a hospital room where Gem was laying unconscious in a bed. There were tubes, cuffs, and machines hooked up to Gem that were breathing for her. A doctor came in and explained to Holly that Gem was in a coma and needed emergency brain surgery. Her brain was swelling and she was going to die. The surgery was experimental and had never been performed before. The chances that Gem would survive at all were slim, but the surgery was at least a chance. The doctor shoved some paperwork in front of Holly and told her to sign it so they could prepare the operating room. Holly hesitated. The doctor said for Holly to either sign the paperwork or go plan a funeral. Holly signed.

The next day after many hours of waiting, the surgery was finally over. Holly was escorted into a hospital room where Gem was laying. She was unconscious and had even more machines and wires hooked up to her. Gem’s skin was now a gray color. She had a shaved head that had many stitches in it and monitors taped all over. Holly asked the nurse, ‘what happens next?’ The nurse simply said, ‘we see if she wakes up’ and left the room.

Holly had asked her Gramma to pray even though Holly did not believe in church, prayer or Jesus. Gramma visited Gem often and prayed over her. In fact, Gramma’s entire church was praying that God would heal Gem, it would take a miracle. Gramma told Holly that Gem was going to be fine, God was at work. Holly watched as Gem did not get better and there were no signs of a miracle. Gramma encouraged Holly to pray too, after all, there was nothing to lose.

Over the next two weeks, various medical team members would enter the room and share details of what happened and why. Through their visits, Holly learned that Gem had died, but the medical team was able to revive her. Holly also learned that the type of illness Gem had became deadly when the patient was given a certain over-the-counter pain reliever. Wait, medication, like the exact one that Holly gave Gem? Holly could not believe what she was hearing. The over-the-counter pain reliever she gave Gem almost killed her!

Holly learned from the surgeon that no one had ever survived with this illness after they had been given that over-the-counter pain reliever. The medical teams were of varying opinions as to whether Gem would wake up, and if she did, how extensive her brain damage would be. As Holly waited day after day for Gem to wake up, she decided to start praying too, she had nothing to lose.

The next day, Gem woke up. She could breathe on her own and move her body. Some of the tubes were removed, so she could talk and eat. Within a few hours, Gem was able to get out of bed and walk, it seemed that her brain had not been impacted at all. Despite dying and the tiny chance of survival she was given by the medical teams, God chose to save Gem, He was not done with her yet.

Within a few days after she first woke up, Gem was sent home. Holly and the medical teams had seen a miracle take place! As Holly helped Gem get comfortable in her bed at home, she decided she would start to pray, after all, there was nothing to lose.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You that You bend down to listen to our prayers. Thank You that You care so much for each of us that every hair on our head is numbered by You. Thank You for loving us and listening to our prayers, no matter how far we have roamed from Your path. Thank You for Your peace and love. Help us to share You with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

Last week, I shared a true story with you about a young girl named Gem. Today, I am sharing the true story of Holly, Gem’s mother.

Holly grew up very poor. Her father had an affair and then ran away with her mom’s best friend when she and her siblings were young. Holly’s mom was working long hours and several jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Holly, being the oldest child, became the parent to her siblings, doing the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry and so on. While Holly did what needed to be done, she dreamed of having her own family and house with a loving husband who would never abandon her.

When Holly was in high school, she met the man of her dreams. They got married as soon as they graduated and started a family together. Within seven years, Holly and her husband had five children, Gem was the fifth and final. When Gem was 4 weeks old, her father ran away with a high school cheerleader.

Just like her father had left her mom, Holly’s husband abandoned her and the children. All of the pain that Holly’s mom went through was now hers to bear.

As she was growing up, Gem was sick a lot, in and out of the hospital for various illnesses. Her father was not in her life, she wondered if he even knew Gem’s name, let alone cared about how sick she was. One July day Gem complained of a headache to Holly, her mother did not think too much of it. After all, it seemed Gem was usually sick with some illness or another.

Holly did not have time to take Gem to the doctor, she was working long hours and several jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Besides, Gem’s older siblings would be home and could keep an eye on her. After a hasty call to the family doctor, he told Holly to give Gem an over-the-counter pain reliever to bring down the fever and take away the pain from the headache. That is what Holly did.

Out of nowhere, Gem’s fever went up to 103 and then 104 and kept climbing. At the hospital, Holly watched through the glass as the nurses plunged Gem into an ice bath to bring down the fever. Holly began to think this illness was different.

One of the nurses yelled, “We are losing her!” Holly was shuffled to a waiting room as the medical team worked on Gem. As she sat there alone, Holly could not grasp what was happening. She felt helpless as she wondered if her youngest child was going to live or die.

Holly did not attend church, she was too busy for that and she did not believe in prayer. In her desperation to do to something to help Gem, Holly called her Gramma. She did go to church and her Gramma did believe in prayer. Gramma then called church members and the word spread that immediate prayer was needed for Gem as things were looking grim.

Holly thought that even if Gramma praying did not help, it certainly could not hurt. . . .

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for every breath we take. Thank You that You fill our lungs with air and give our hearts the strength to pump our blood throughout our body. Thank You for medical teams and for healing. Thank You for Your peace and love. Help us to share You with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.