We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Prayer—for Bella

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – February 2, 2015

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Prayer—for Bella

Our lives get interrupted at the worst moments. Sometimes inconvenient, sometimes exciting. Once in a while, horrible. Gut-wrenching, and incredibly sad.

I am interrupted in the middle of my neatly-laid-out prayer plan on lectio divina . . . to pray for Bella, instead. To ask you whether you would consider praying for Bella, her parents, and the medical staff who will be caring for her. Tomorrow, on Wednesday morning, Bella will be having surgery on a brain tumor. She just turned nine years old this past weekend. She is scared of the surgery. Her parents are scared, too.

The office manager at my church, Sunny, is good friends with Bella’s parents. Sunny has kept our church updated on the continuing situation with Bella, the doctors, and other medical stuff. I cannot even imagine what Bella and her family are feeling and are going through tonight, with surgery in less than twelve hours. Plus, Sunny just set up a GoFundMe site for Bella. You can find it at http://www.gofundme.com/4BellaM

Yes, I was a hospital chaplain for most of the last ten years. And, yes, I have some rudimentary understanding of what kinds of things Bella and her parents will be dealing with. But—I can’t know, for sure. But what I can do is send positive thoughts, earnest prayers, and good feelings. And, I can pray God’s mercy, care and comfort upon such a sweet young person.

Let’s pray. Dear Lord, gracious God, we pray for Bella. We ask Your presence with her as she goes through this procedure. We pray that You will hold her in the hollow of Your hand, being present with her in a very special way. We ask for Bella’s parents, and for all who care for her and love her. We know You can comfort like no other. We pray for the medical staff who will be caring for Bella. Give them wisdom and understanding as they treat Bella. We know that You are a God of healing, a God of wonder-working, and a God of comfort and encouragement. Thank You, Lord! We hold up all these things in prayer, Amen.

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