The Power of Prayer

      I believe in the power of prayer.

      When my infant daughter was facing a transfusion due to a blood disorder I thought my seemingly perfect world was falling apart. Here was this beautiful little baby that I was so anxious to meet and hold and love. All I wanted was to take her home like every other mother in the maternity ward but that was not going to happen, at least not right away. Maddie had severe jaundice. Her liver was refusing to kick in and it was causing damage to her fragile young body. Unbeknownst to the doctor my blood had dangerously large amounts of antibodies built up in it, enough to kill my little girl. She made it to delivery but she had obviously been under attack and at the time no one knew why. What started as a mild case of jaundice turned into my worst nightmare. The only hope we had of saving her was to perform a blood transfusion and that came with its own set of perilous risks. I could see it in the doctor's eyes. It was not something that he wanted to do. Maddie was weak, miserable, and helpless, just like her mama.

      It was early on a Sunday when the preacher stopped by to pay us a visit. We were still in the hospital even though Maddie had been born on Tuesday morning the week before. Mark, still one of my favorite preachers on the planet, said that he would have the church pray for us at the service later that day. I thanked him for remembering us and didn't think much more about it until they began the preparations to transfer Maddie to the hospital in Morgantown to perform the transfusion. The doctor decided to take one last blood count before he made his final decision and then it happened. Maddie's bilirubin suddenly went down. The way bilirubin works in babies is that once it begins its descent the risk greatly diminishes because that means that the liver is beginning to function. What it meant to me was that we were out of the woods! I looked at the clock. It was 10:45. They were praying at church. Some might say that it was all just a coincidence, but I believe that I had the opportunity to witness first hand what true heartfelt prayer can do.

      When something horrific happens like that F5 tornado that devastated parts of Oklahoma this week, we tend to feel helpless. There is nothing like viewing the damage from 200+ mph winds to make you feel insignificant and frail but we can help. We can give financially if we are able, we can help physically if we are nearby, but we can do something else as well. We can pray. Prayer creates a positive energy and when enough of us get together it's strength is magnified. So pray. Pray for Oklahoma. Pray for healing, for the return of joy, for peace, for stability, for strength, lots and lots of strength, and most importantly for love.

      While I will never understand why these horrific storms occur, I do know this: where there is darkness and heartbreak, light and love are not far behind. Tragedy and loss are often followed by touching stories of selfless sacrifice and grace. Healing might be a long time coming but it will come. For this week's pay it forward project I am going to make a donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and I am going to do something of far greater value, I am going to pray.

Laurie