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| God gives us hope in every storm. |
Muriel’s condition grew much worse over the next several days. She was coughing up blood again and she started to spike a fever as well. Sarah did not know what to do, Peter was always good at making the right decisions when it came to getting things done quickly, but he was no where to be found. Sarah grew more fearful as time went by and she started to grow desperate with Muriel’s illness.
She became increasingly worried and concerned for her mother. Trying to contain her state of urgency was almost beyond her at this point. She was almost at the state of a nervous breakdown. Peter was her strength and now that he was gone, she was reaching the end of her endurance.
“Sarah dear, are you close by?”
“Coming mother!”
“My dear, you are all smiles today, but your eyes are red and your cheeks are flushed. I am your mother and I know that you are troubled. Please forgive me Sarah, I am so sorry that I am such trouble for you now.”
“No mother, you are not a bother, I am glad to be able to attend to you. How can I help?”
“My dear, I love you so much. I am afraid it is my worrying for you and your family that has made me ill. For this I am so sorry that I have caused you added stress and concern. I will do my best to get well soon and then you will not have to work so hard.”
“Mother, you cause me no great burden, it is my honor to be able to take care of you now. You have always been there for me and now it is my turn to love you as you have loved me all these years. Please do not consider yourself a bother, you are my mother and I would not have it any other way. I love you very much, please rest now and get well, the more you relax, the quicker you will heal.”
“Have you heard from Peter my dear?”
Sarah’s continence at this point almost crumbles; she takes a deep breath, forces a smile and responds.
“No mother, I have not, but I am sure he will be coming home any day. Now I must get you some fresh water and towels.”
Sarah leaves the room and narrowly reaches the hallway when a flood of tears are released. She speaks very softly and yet she desperately wants even the walls to hear her supplications.
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| In our darkest hour, God hears our call to him. |
“Please, please Peter come home to me, I need you so much that I cannot bear it any longer. Please my love, come to my side where you belong.”
Muriel is gravely ill, but her hearing is still very acute. She hears Sarah’s pleads in the hallway and as a mother, she cannot stop herself, she rises from her bed and walks towards the hallway with the intent on holding her hurting child. Taking just one step Muriel loses her balance and starts to fall, all the while she slowly begins to lose consciousness as she crumbles to the floor.
Sarah between sobs hears a noise of something hitting the floor in her mother’s room. She rushes into the bedroom only to find Muriel unconscious with blood flowing from her mouth.
“Mother, what has happened?”
Muriel cannot hear her daughter for she is completely unconscious at this point. Sarah slowly pulls Muriel to the bed and gently sets her head on the pillow and covers her up. She notices that Muriel’s body is feeling cold, and yet puzzled, she observes that her mother’s forehead is perspiring. Sarah softly wipes the blood from her mother’s cheek, all the while wiping with her other hand, the tears falling from her own eyes. In desperation, Sarah once again implores the walls and ceiling to answer her.
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| He gave light to a darkened world. |
“What can I do, where can I go? I love my mother so very much and I have no where to turn.”
Then in recesses of her mind a thought emerges. Andrew spoke of this Nazarene curing many different peoples’ illnesses; perhaps he can heal my mother. Maybe if he is that powerful, he might even hear me now. In desperation Sarah kneels by her mother’s bed and buries her face in Muriel’s hand, and begins to pray softly.
“Peter said to me that you are named Jesus, he told me that you have healed others who have come to you for help. I must confess that I do not know you or for that matter, I am not sure whether I have Peter’s faith. I do know that I love my mother very much and do not want her to die. Please help my mother? Please heal her? I believe that you can heal her, but if it is left up to my faith for her to be healed, I am not sure whether it is enough. I do believe in you, please help my unbelief Jesus?”
Sarah felt a strange peace come all over her, something that she had never felt before. Her heartache seemed to disappear and she was left with an unknown feeling deep within her. At that moment, the darkened room seemed to light up and a strange presence shown behind her in the doorway. It was hard for her eyes to adjust to the brightness that emanated from this person’s outline. Sarah shielded her eyes and began to speak.
“Who, who are you, can I help you?”
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| God's presence is everywhere. |
“I am here for you Sarah. I am Jesus, I heard your prayer and I do want to help you and your mother Muriel.”
Without hesitation Jesus quietly went over to the bedside and gently grasped Muriel’s hand and spoke to her, almost inaudibly.
“Be healed my child.”
Muriel’s eyes slowly began to open and she found herself smiling inexplicably towards this man before her.
“Muriel, you have so many doubts, you must let them go and believe in me for I have known you before you were in your mother’s arms. I know what you need and what will make your life full beyond measure. Muriel my child, trust not in the world and what it has to offer, but trust only in me. No amount of riches will make you content or happy. Needs will always be there facing you each day, trust rather in the Son and he will give you fullness of life. Peace, love, wisdom and joy will be yours if you only seek me first. I am the truth, the light and way, through me you will have eternal life and joy my child.”
Muriel gently shook her head in acceptance; she knew within her heart that the man before her was truly the Son of God. She had felt a strange warmth come over her as she awoke from her dreams. Within her, she could feel herself being healed and knew that this Nazarene was the one who was healing her. Jesus then gently grasped Muriel’s hand, smiled and began to stand up.
Peter had arrived with Jesus and to Sarah’s delight; he stood before her with outstretched arms. They embraced and Sarah knew she would be ok now that Peter was there to hold her. Jesus looked over at Sarah who was now burying her head in Peter’s chest. Jesus then smiled and stopped to speak with her.
“Sarah, I heard your prayer from afar and I came in answer to your call. Do not worry about Peter’s absence my child; many will come to me because of his faithfulness. Peter, you are Sarah’s husband, God has created her for you. You two are one and I believe that Sarah is to be with you now. Please consider asking Sarah to travel with us.”
With that Jesus gently smiled and passed by them. He saw the needs of those outside and wanted to attend to those who were sick and hurting. At that point, Peter looked at Sarah and beamed with joy as he held his sweetheart in his arms once again.
“Sarah, would you like to travel with me?”
“Yes my husband, nothing would bring more joy to my heart.”
Peter and Sarah again embraced while Muriel watched on with joy.
Muriel began to walk toward Peter; she hesitates, looks up at the ceiling for an instant as if to gain strength and resolve, and then proceeds towards Peter once again.
“Peter, I said some things that were not kind and very thoughtless to you, please forgive me?”
“Muriel, I do forgive you, please do not think of this again. You are my wife’s mother and I love you very much. Please, would you like to come along with us?”
Muriel thought for a moment and then smiled with a resounding “yes.”
She then began to smile with such joy that she radiated happiness from her whole being. Muriel then began to walk with such force to the kitchen that a breeze followed her and was felt on Sarah’s face as her mother passed by.
“Mother, where are you going?”
Sweetheart, I am about to prepare a feast for you, Peter and Jesus. Please stay with your wonderful husband; ' I ' will take care of you now! I love you sweetheart!
With that, Muriel smiled, turned and headed for the kitchen humming all the way.
