I’d like to thank you for praying for my mom.  When I left her three days ago, she was weak but already in a stable condition.  We hope and pray that with therapy she will be able to regain some of her bodily functions.  While I was there, I was able to visit with Herwi.  She remains in good spirits and remarkably positive despite her deteriorating condition.  She thanked you for always praying for her.

While there I was also able to visit a former student of mine who’s receiving chemotherapy.  After being in remission for several years her cancer is now back attacking her body.  Instead of feeling “poor me,” she is feeling good; instead of finding reasons to be mad at God, she is finding reasons to be thankful for.  She’s grateful to God that the hospital where she is at, considered one of the best centers for cancer treatment in Indonesia, accepted BPJS (state-sponsored medical care, like our Medicaid/Medi-Cal). Not only that, but she also told me that in that hospital everyone receives the same quality of care, regardless of his or her financial coverage.  It’s truly a gift.

There is something else for which she is thankful. Because it was not her first hospitalization there, before she was admitted, she had already prayed for a bed by the window.  You see, each room has three beds separated by curtains that enclose each bed. (It reminds me of the ER setting here.) Hence, only the bed by the window has the best view of seeing something other than windowless curtains.  She told me that God had answered her prayer and she’s grateful.

Once again, I see the same pattern of God’s work: Instead of doing something huge, such as radical healing, He does something small, such as giving the bed by the window.  Trivial, but to someone like her, it’s a cause for celebration.  Jesus didn’t come to the world to heal the sick; no, He came to show how much He cares for the sick.

Pastor Paul