for rachel

When your children were small, did they have monsters in the closet and under the bed and behind the door? Night after night, you chased them away. Thankfully, when they are finally kicked to the curb, it’s a permanent eviction.

Our friends are facing a scary monster this week. Their daughter, Rachel, was diagnosed with a brain tumor last Friday. Brain tumor – the monster has a name in this case.

Through a series of events nothing short of miraculous, Rachel, her parents and her aunt are now in a city hours away, in the care of doctors who slay monsters daily. (They see this type of tumor all the time, which is at once devastating and reassuring to me.) I can’t be there, but I am there anyway – watching the clock, waiting for word. I want her parents to feel love around them like a blanket. I want her older brother to have peace. I want Rachel not to be afraid.

Already, her family has seen God move the medical bureaucracy equivalent of mountains. Now, they need Him to hold the hands of a surgeon on Thursday. (And may I add – this same surgeon will be performing the same operation on two other little girls, one today and one tomorrow. I’m sure the families of those kids would ask for your prayers as well.)

When I spoke to Rachel’s mom last night, she said Rach is keeping up with the location of people who are praying for her. As of last night, the count was 29 states and six countries. She is hoping to cover the globe. Please join us and let Rachel know where you are by commenting on her Caring Bridge site. (If you prefer, you may email me and I will pass your message along.)

We want this monster gone for good.

“If I were you, I would go to God and present my case to him. He does great things too marvelous to understand. He performs countless miracles.” Job 5:8-9