Back in October, my best friend, Ellie Velázquez, and I drove up to her home in Chicago to spend fall break with her family. That weekend, we got the devastating news that her mom, Heather, had been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
A quick Google search will tell you that only 9% of patients with this diagnosis live longer than five years. Her doctors gave her six to 12 months.
You can imagine the sorrow, and, honestly, the anger we felt.
That Sunday, we went to their church, New Life, in Little Village, and I just felt so confused. I didn’t know how her family could worship God at such a time. At first, I wrote it off as simple discipline. Ellie’s dad, Pablo, is likely the most disciplined and level-headed person I know so that just made sense to me.
But as we worshiped that morning, I saw Pablo’s pain begin to overflow. And he just kept worshiping and praying anyway.
After the service, the pastor came up to us and quoted to us James 5.
“Are any of you sick?” it reads. “You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well.”
And then the pastor asked to pray with the church elders and us for Heather.
The room was dense with intense grief and Heather’s friends and family pleas for her life. I remember feeling so angry—a 9% chance. And you want to tell me that all we have to do is pray with church elders and have them anoint Heather for her to be healed?
I doubt that.
But Mark 9:24 came to mind, saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
These six words became my constant prayer for the next four months, which brings us to today. As I’m writing this, it is Feb. 10 and we are on hour 57 of this revival, most of which I have been in seat B8 of the sophomore section.
Twice, though, Pastor Zach Meerkreebs had us all go up to the walls of Hughes and pray for those outside of our reach. Both times, I found myself begging God for Heather’s healing.
During this time, I had a sentence come to mind that I haven’t been able to get out since. “You, God, are 100% of the 9%.” He is Heather’s only hope (and ours, too, but that’s a topic for another time).
100% of the 9%. 100% of the 9%. 100% of the 9%.
I do believe; help my unbelief. Help my unbelief.
Over and over and over and over.
Then, this morning in chapel (like a normal scheduled chapel), Tammy Ma spoke on the power of prayer and how we should pray: without ceasing, without doubt, and without offense.
Ma asked us, “What are you believing God for right now?”
And the first thing that came to my mind was Heather’s healing. And again, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
The second Ma finished speaking and began to walk off stage, I felt my phone vibrate. It was news that “the [malignant] tumors present in Heather’s body are retreating!”
I just collapsed into my friend’s arms in tears. There are truly no words to describe the pure enveloping joy I felt at that moment (and still feel).
God has blessed me in countless other ways this week, and it’s only day three. But this instance alone has proven His faithfulness, the power of prayer, and the truth of Scripture.
Since this all began at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, I have stood in awe of the concentration of the Spirit in this place. The work that he has done in me and my life is unfathomable, truly indescribable.
And then I lift my head from the altar and see Him moving among and within my friends and classmates and even within the people I’ve never seen before from, like, New Jersey.
The miracle of Christ’s love is infinitely greater than all the miracles He can do for me. And His love is limitless, and it knows no boundaries.
“From the rising sun to the setting same, I will praise your name. Great is Your faithfulness to me.”