Recovering

When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.

Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. John 4:43-54 

I have spent this very warm and muggy summer recovering from having several fusions in my back. It has been a very long recovery, with some hard days, that were made better by loving family and friends who cheer me on. I remember as a child being very sick and still aching to get up and run around. My parents were scared and anxious while I was just frustrated and impatient. I am still that way. Having faith in a process of healing requires patience that I don't always have. Yet, the one thing that has gotten me through is knowing others were praying for me when I couldn't pray, people were holding me when I couldn't stand any longer.

The word has gotten out about Jesus. The miracles he preformed and the lives he changed were making the news. Word of mouth was at a fever pitch. Gossip and story telling made way for a father's faith. A parent, wracked with fear for his child, asks for a miracle and he receives it. His faith not only changed his life, it changed his son and everyone who knew of that moment. That is the way of faith and love. It changes everything and everyone. When we are faithful, we can bring transforming love with us. God invites us, even in our pain filled and dark times, to remember the faith of this father who changed his whole world for love.

Today I ask God to give me an ever deepening faith. May we all, even in our darkest hours, ask for the miracles we need, knowing by our love and faithfulness we can change the world around us.