Dear Friends,
I feel a bit funny doing this, and yet...it feels the most natural thing. For those who haven't blogged or been involved in any type of social networking, it may seems strange to you that I'm asking you to fervently pray for a stranger. Joanne Heim and I have never met. But we've become friends. I will admit that as I laid my own blog down for a time, I lost touch with her. But that doesn't take away our connection. Nor does it take away our sisterhood in Christ.
Joanne is in her later 30s, is a wife, and mom of two young girls. Yesterday, while running on the treadmill, she suffered a stroke, and was found, unresponsive, by her 9 year old daughter. You can read about everything, here.
If there is anything which impresses me most about Joanne, it's her love for Jesus, and her unwavering faith in Him--a faith she shares in her books and her blog, The Simple Wife. I'm also impressed by the fact that she's me. She's you. She shares her struggles and triumphs. Who knows...maybe she didn't even want to work out on that silly treadmill, yesterday.
And so...I'm asking you to pray for her. Fervently. Whenever she comes to mind. Because prayer is not silly or awkward, or bound by the internet. Prayer works miracles. Prayer shows our surrender and faith in the only One who can truly heal her brain. Toben (Joanne's husband) said that they are claiming Psalm 46 for Joanne. Won't you join me today?
UPDATE 8:23 a.m. : "Joanne's sister, Kristen, just updated on Facebook: "Friends, just got a call from the hospital....Joanne was not doing well in the night....they did a cat scan and she has considerable swelling on her brain and she is going into surgery within the hour to have part of her skull removed to give her brain some room to allow for the swelling. Obviously I am numb. Please pray."
8 comments:
I saw this this morning...its awful isn't it.
Praying.
You know I understand your need to pray for her. I will join you and the others in praying for her today.
I've can't shake the need to keep praying for her. May God's will be done. (the will of our God who loves us very, very much... and who loves her even more than we do)
xo
prayers for her healing and for her family
Praying for her, and her sweet family...thank you for posting this, Gretchen.
Praying.
My mind has not been able to stop since I heard. Puts so much in perspective, and I think has caused so many of us to really take inventory of where our own lives stand.
Praying. Definitely praying.
Thank you, friends, for standing in the gap. She's still awfully sick. Terribly long road. Nothing is impossible with God.
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