I had an experience recently that touched me to my core. Our family was in the midst of a very unexpected and harrowing medical emergency. Very quickly, we were transferred to a medical university hospital in our region, specializing in cancer research and care. Our medical emergency was enough of a trauma that when it was all over and the prognosis was great, we were still kind of in shock.
Our amazing caregivers promised to discharge us on the fourth day of our ordeal, but they had to backtrack due to insurance issues. We were physically and emotionally exhausted, so needless to say, the discharge delay was a disappointment.
We decided to trust God’s timing and listen for His guidance. He caused us to notice a patient across the hall. She was undergoing some type of cancer treatment, and it was obviously not her first round of treatment, for her hair was totally gone. She threw up repeatedly during the four days we were there. We knew that, because they kept her door open in order to watch her closely – for she was all alone.
Think about that for a moment. Not only was this woman suffering from cancer and enduring the side effects of some type of chemo or radiation, she was by herself. Totally alone. Now, in the eight days we stayed in this state-of-the-art facility, we probably had 20 visitors or more. Yet, in all that time, we never saw one visitor step through the doors of that woman’s room.
So, we let go of our disappointment over not getting discharged and simply prayed for this woman. We did not know her name, but God did. We were not allowed in her room, but we asked God to be with her. We specifically asked for Him to stop her nausea and help her rest. And sure enough, we saw God move mightily. We heard the doctors go into her room the next morning and loudly exclaim that she had stopped throwing up.
Now, that may seem insignificant or even coincidental to some people, but to us, it was amazing. And for that woman, it must have been miraculous, for she had suffered for at least five days by that point. We are still in awe of God and His answers to our prayers – for this woman and for our own situation.
After reflecting on our hospital stay, all I can think of is how awful it would be to suffer anything alone. As Christians, we take His presence, His sweet Holy Spirit, for granted way too often. Not only does He love us and sustain us, He is with us. How amazing is that fact! We are never, ever alone.
I have continued to pray for that precious woman we left behind on that cancer ward, and she has opened my eyes, reminding me that Christ calls me to pray for those suffering alone. And His calling is both a duty and an honor.
In fact, when I came back to work last week, I was reminded of that truth through an initiative called the Orange Letter Campaign that we are carrying out here at AFA through EngageMagazine.net.
Designed to encourage persecuted Christians and their families, this campaign coincides with the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church but was birthed almost accidentally.
Click here to listen to how Tom Doyle, a vice president of e3 Partners and founder of 8thirty8, and Engage editor Teddy James were profoundly impacted (as was the entire world) back in February 2015 when ISIS marched 21 professing Christian men, all clad in orange jumpsuits, onto a beach in Libya and filmed their brutal executions. They then publically released the video.
In late 2015, Doyle offered to carry letters from Engage supporters and AFR listeners to the families of those 21 Christian martyrs. Thus, the Orange Letter Campaign was born, and the outpouring of support for this endeavor was amazing. Then in 2016, Doyle delivered letters on behalf of Engage to Christians in Syria. Now in its third collection and distribution, Engage expects even more people to join their 2017 letter writing campaign to encourage persecuted Christians in North Korea.
It’s easy to join! Participants in the Orange Letter Campaign simply write a letter of encouragement and prayer to persecuted Christians on the other side of the world. Those letters are then translated into the appropriate language and delivered to the persecuted recipients or read aloud via underground avenues for prisoners to hear.
Imagine that. Christian believers worldwide can literally become partners with the persecuted church through a simple letter. So, why not take the time to visit EngageMagazine.net and gather the details on how to participate?
Open Doors USA, host of the International Day of Prayer website, says the number one request of persecuted Christians worldwide is for fellow Christians to pray. The Open Doors website even offers five ways to pray scripturally for our persecuted brethren.
Who knows the power of one simple letter and its accompanying prayers? Your one simple letter might make the world of difference for one persecuted believer who feels forgotten and alone. And the truth is – it is the least we can do for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, write a letter, pray fervently, and join the Orange Letter Campaign to ensure that no persecuted believer ever suffers alone.
