Blogs - Chief of Pray Blog

Sign In Please: Visiting a Caring Community

My husband calls me "Mrs. Know-it-all." True, I am a very curious person, but a “know-it-all?” No way. I don’t know anything about illness, pain, and suffering, but recently I learned a little bit about the people who make up a community that supports those who do.

Webmaster Ed has written a total of two blogs for Prayables. It started out as a good idea for all of the staff to contribute to the blog roll, but something else always comes first. In his second and last post, Ed wrote about fifteen year old Danielle Loftus: the daughter of an old high school friend, who was in a coma, recovering from a Jet Ski accident. The family reached out to friends and relatives through Facebook. They directed hundreds of well-wishers to a website created on Caring Bridge, to receive prayers and encouragement. Until that happened, I never knew such a place existed— I never had a need. Lucky me.

What about parents who have sick children or are sick themselves? How does a community grow around tragedy? In Danielle’s case, her story is told on the site. It’s short and sad:

…While her prognosis isn’t good, we pray that God will give her the strength to pull out of this and be able to lead a normal productive life. We are quickly learning how precious and fragile life is.

Her family has been journaling since July when the accident happened. Every day there’s a new entry – over one hundred and counting.  Photos of Danielle in happier times, tributes in her honor, and not a drop of advertising on the site. These are the features designed to serve a family in their time of need, but the most overwhelming part of the Caring Bridge experience is the Guestbook. Over 3,600 individuals who take the time to read an update on Danielle’s progress, say a little something to let Danielle, and her family know that they are not forgotten in their struggle.

What a testament to the stuff we’re made of! We all have our causes, and some resonate deeper than others. For Ed and his wife Jennifer, getting through the trauma of open heart surgery for their newborn son Ben, was made easier with Care Pages . They found their support online, just like the Loftus family.  Hopefully these aren’t places you need to be. Hopefully these are place you want to be, on the giving side of community.

Patience for Patients

Patients!
So odd, the sound of it.
So reminiscent
of the very forbearance I require.
Please help me to retain my calm,
despite all demands.
Let kindness flow freely from my soul.
And please, let me minister with the very stuff
You show so abundantly for me:
Patience.

-Lori Strawn