I have often wondered why God doesn’t heal the ones we love. As a hospice nurse for many years, I watched many people die. As a Christian, I’ve also prayed for healing for friends and family, yet witnessed them die anyway.
I have wrestled with the concept of why for a long time. I watched a sixteen-year-old boy, a five-year-old boy, and my godly friend who had cancer not receive healing. My brother suffered for years from heart disease and diabetes through no fault of his own, but died young.
When I had my second bout with cancer, I comprehended the enormity of our prayers as I prayed for my healing. One day, feeling lousy from the chemo, I talked to God to fill Him in on the whole deal. How foolish that I thought He needed to know how I felt.
But then something happened to my prayer. It went something like this: “Lord, You know I want to live. You know this chemo is making me feel terrible. The Bible says that Your plans for me are good, so if You plan to take me to be with You, that’s what I want.”
I couldn’t believe I said it was okay for me to die. Was I sincere? Sitting in my sunroom’s dark shadows, I realized I did mean it. I lost my firm grip on this world and turned to eternal life with Christ.
Many godly people don’t receive healing on this side of heaven, but God assures us that He hears our prayers. I’ve started praying the following prayer for others: “God, You know our desire is for healing, but if You have a better plan for them in glory, then that is what we want.”
Thirty years later, I still don’t know how God chooses whom to cure on earth and whom to take to heaven. I’ve seen miraculous cures and tragic deaths. But I don’t have to know. My job is to pray and trust that His decisions are correct.
When you pray for others, pray for God’s will to be done.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and thiagosnot23.)
Linda McClung grew up on a farm in Virginia and spent fifty years as a nurse, both practicing and teaching. She retired to South Carolina to enjoy the lake and became bored with too much time, so she began to write. At first, her stories were short stories for the grandchildren, but as they grew, so did her stories. She has three books published.