carrying friends are caring friends

Our church hosts a weekly prayer gathering in the student chapel. The same group of brothers and sisters keep showing up to pray together. Upon arrival we receive a list of requests that have been compiled by the church office staff. Then we pray.

We're seen God move mountains, save souls, heal the sick, restore relationships, comfort the mourning -- you name it -- God has been pleased to answer wildly and inspires "us to not neglect the gathering together."

Louis Chau is a faithful prayer warrior and each week we hear his heart cry out on behalf of others. Louis quietly fasts and prays -- alone at his home -- for everyone on the long list of requests. Then he meets the rest of us on Wednesday nights and prays with us all.

Louis has to walk with a cane due to a debilitating bout with polio many years ago. He has to lean on his left leg and hold a cane in his right hand to get around.  He is able to drive a car and his small scooter is suitable for indoors and sidewalks.

Several days ago Louis sent a urgent text message asking my husband Don and me to pray for him. It was already dark outside and he was backing up his scooter after taking out his trash. The scooter tipped, fell on top of him and crushed his knee: it was the leg affected by polio. We began praying. An hour or so passed and we heard from him again. The pain was so extreme, Don drove to his home and took him to the ER.

The text messages multiplied as the church family learned of the fall. The diagnosis was a fractured femur. Doctors made a special cast and gave him medications for the pain and sent him home for complete rest.

Louis Chau

Wednesday morning rolled around and I was reading my daily Bible plan. I read the passage of Mark 2 where the friends of a paralyzed man carried him to Jesus and the man was healed. 

With that thought, Don and I asked Louis if we could pick him up and take him to the prayer gathering and pray for his healing. He graciously declined because he was in too much pain and needed to be physically still.

Then the thought came to my heart and mind from the Mark 2 passage. We won't have to take him to the prayer gathering to help him! No! We can carry Him to Jesus with our prayers! Yes!  Just like the faithful friends of the paralyzed man in Scripture, since he couldn't walk, his friends carried him to Jesus.

The church family is carrying Louis to Jesus through prayers for him, visiting him, texting him, praying with him, and bringing him food.

Another church friend carried Louis to an appointment with his own orthopedic surgeon. Louis had asked us all for prayer that surgery would not be necessary in his healing process. He was praising God after his visit that the doctor said he did not need surgery!

Wow. We are living this thing! Glory to God!

"And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men...and when Jesus saw their faith...He said to the paralytic, 'Son your sins are forgiven.'...but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins -- He said to the paralytic --'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.'...And he rose, and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, 'We never saw anything like this!'" -- Mark 2:3-12

Glory to God.

Polly