When Trouble Comes in Bunches

I've been worried these past few days about a dear cyber-friend who is having a bunch of troubles. We had all begun feeling very good about her DM being cancer-free and then, Bingo, the cancer indicators suddenly rose again without warning. Over a period of 48 hours or so, she also faced knowing that her adult daughter would need to have her leg amputated. This, after a year or so of all sorts of medical efforts to avoid this following a horrendous auto accident the daughter had been involved in. Also, in this same 48 hours or so, my friend learned that the mobile home deal she'd hoped would be approved fell through.

What do you say to someone at a time like that? "I'll pray for you" is the obvious first statement. Even though that helps in ways we might never know about here on earth, sometimes it feels so small an effort during troubles like these.

We've all been through times when troubles come in bunches.

Once, I remember, back in 2004. My DS was in CA and I was here, in NV. Her Parkinsons was causing multiple falls in a single month; paramedics were often at her little rented bungalow. The family agreed with her decision to enter long-term care, for safety reasons. Our car could not make the trip to her home so that we could empty it to enable her 40-yr long landlord, a dear friend, to offer it for another rental. We had to borrow money to rent a vehicle. The same week we were dealing with that, in the summer's 118 heat, the A/C went out in our mobile home. We could not get it fixed until we got back. We asked a friend to stop in daily during those four days to feed the cat and let some air into the house during the day. The three of us left - me, Jane (a dear family friend and roomie) and Jane's son who would be helpful with large items in the house. The day after we got there, we got a call that the cat-sitter-of-sorts could not get into the house with the key we'd left. He'd drafted neighbors to try to get into one of the windows. No luck. For the next three days, we worried sick about whether the cat would survive our absence and the excessive heat.

To make a long story short, everything worked out, of course. The kitty had found the coolest spot in the house; there was still some water left in his bowl, but his crunchies were down to a teaspoonful - still, we all made it.

Troubles often do come in bunches. People of faith know that everything works out in the long run. However, when we are in the middle of a mess, or a bunch of messes, we often wish we could see the light at the end of that dark tunnel.

All I can do is pray for strength and patience for my friend. And I will do so with all my heart and soul.

Dear Father, please hear my prayer for this friend who you have helped in so many ways in the past. She needs you desperately right now. Hold her in the palms of your hands and close to your loving heart, and bring her and her loved ones through this dark time.