Posts Tagged ‘medical issues’

 

Living with Medical Uncertainty

Posted on: January 29th, 2017 by Alden

Last week I posted a “Cancer Anniversary” prayer. I received many responses. Several readers, each facing metastatic disease, wrote asking for a different prayer, one for living with medical uncertainty. I wrote this two years ago after speaking with a young man rocked by the discovery of a rare medical condition, shaken by the contrast between how healthy he felt and the extent of disease going on in the secret workings of his body.

Living with Medical Uncertainty
This life is a gift.
Our moments, a blessing.
The hours, a sacred trust.
Our days, a flicker in the lamp of time.

G-d of Old,
You call on me to face my fleeting presence.
By confronting my ___________ [condition, such as: cancer, stroke…],
You have brought me this challenge:
To see my mortality,
To comprehend, more deeply,
The fragility of my body and the dangers within.
Truly, my life is like a driven leaf,
A passing cloud,
Grass that withers,
A flower that fades.

Knower of All,
I wonder:
What is my body doing in secret?
Has my treatment been effective?
For how long?
Has this threat passed?
Will I face it again?
Am I cured? Am I safe?
Can I ever know?

Bless all who have walked with me on this path.
Grant them health and long life.
Bless all who face these questions.
Grant them comfort and peace.

As for me,
Holy One,
When I am weary, give me rest.
When I am lost, give me refuge.
When I am yearning, give me words of prayer.

Rock of Life,
G-d of All Being,
Source of Mystery,
Stronghold and Shelter,
Guide me on this journey.
Grant me solace and consolation.
Give me strength.

.ברוך אתה ה’ אלהינו מלך העולם הנותן ליעף כח
Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha’olam hanotein laya’ef ko’ach.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who gives strength to the weary.

© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also: “For Cancer Treatment” and “On the Recurrence of Cancer,” as well as two related Hospice Prayers. See also: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery,” and “For Healing the Spirit” and “R’fuat HaNefesh.” Many of these prayers appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Emory

Complications after My Surgery

Posted on: January 30th, 2014 by Alden

Surgery Prep NurseI wrote this yesterday after receiving news that a friend is now dealing with a post-surgical infection. There are seven prayers about surgery in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing, including: “For Surgery” and “Upon Recovery from Surgery.” This prayer will appear in a future book, most likely Prayers for Healing the World.

Complications after My Surgery
G-d of Old,
My [surgery/recovery] has not proceeded as planned.
As I endure unanticipated complications, treatments and setbacks,
I face a new [and difficult] set of decisions
On my journey toward wholeness and healing.
The path [which once seemed so clear,]
Is suddenly more dangerous,
And my fears have returned.

Bless my doctors with wisdom and skill,
With compassion, focus and dedication,
As we work to overcome this challenge [these challenges].
Bless my family with ease and comfort.
Give us energy and endurance, tranquility and peace.
Remind them to care for themselves and each other,
Even as their hearts and prayers turn to me.

Source of life,
Bless my body with strength,
My spirit with courage,
My thoughts with hope,
And let me return to a full life with renewed purpose.
Grant me a full and speedy recovery.

Blessed are You, G-d of mystery,
Source of health and healing.

© 2014 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: My other healing prayers include: “For a Critically-Ill Child,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For Cancer Treatment,” “Cancer Remission” and two Hospice Prayers. Most of these prayers appear in new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

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