Reaching an Unbelieving World
Sept 11th, 2001, Joanna awakened before dawn as nurses rushed into her daughters' room at the hospital in Wilmington, Delaware. They ripped open the blouse on 18 month old Molly and began squirting beta dyne solution on her chest. Joanna arose from the cot where she lay beside her and asked them what they were doing. "She's got to have emergency surgery! She has a blood clot that is on the way to her heart and we've got to operate immediately in order to save her life!"
Joanna watched as they wheeled Molly from the room and down the corridor to surgery. She sat alone and wept in the room where her daughter had been fighting for her life. She had neuroblastoma stage 4 cancer with a tumor that had wound its way around her heart and metastasized to other parts of her body. She was dying and there was nothing to do but pray. The doctors had just the day before stopped her chemo treatment because the treatment was killing her.
It would be hours before the first plane would slam into the World Trade Center, but God had already begun to work. While Molly was in the OR, the phone rang in her room. Joanna picked up the phone and the lady on the other side asked, "Is this the room of baby Molly?"
Joanna replied, "Yes, it is." The lady said, "You're invited to a healing mass at the church tonight at 7:00. Please come and bring her to the service." Joanna thanked the lady and hung up the phone. The phone call provided a desperate mother with hope which she clung to doggedly, even as the planes crashed into the skyscrapers just a hundred miles away.
When the Molly returned after the surgery, they gave their report: "We don't think that she's going to make it." One of the doctors even told her crassly, "You might as well dig a hole in your backyard because you'll be burying her soon."
Unwilling to let go of hope, Joanna asked the doctors if she could take her child to the healing mass at the church. One of the doctors pointed a finger in her face and threatened her, "If you try to take that child from this hospital, I'll have you arrested. That's how much I believe what God can do for this child!"
The afternoon slipped away as Joanna watched Molly's little chest rise and fall with every breath. Late in the afternoon, the doctor came back in the door. "What have you given her?" he asked Joanna. "Nothing. I haven't given her anything," she replied.
"Her blood count has increased dramatically! It was critically low just this morning! Something has happened to this child," the doctor retorted. Joanna grabbed the doctor by the arms and said, "God has done something here!" The doctor lowered his eyes and said, "Take her to the healing mass if you wish."
Joanna put Molly in a stroller and drove to the church. When she pushed Molly to the church entrance, a man told her, "You can't come in. It's standing room only tonight and there's no more room for you." Joanna was crushed and turned to walk away. Just then someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Is that baby Molly?" a lady said.
"Yes, it is," Joanna replied. "Then come with me," the lady whirled around and led Joanna into the church, down to the very front to the small pew reserved for the priest. On it was a sign: "Reserved for Baby Molly."
Nearly ten years have passed since that day that all of us will never forget. Joanna will never forget it for a different reason. Just a few weeks ago, she took Molly back to the hospital in Wilmington for a check-up. She's cancer free! While they walked together down the hallway, they met the same doctor she had during her illness.
He recognized Joanna and then his eyes traveled to Molly who was now eleven years old. He reached out to her and hugged her, then turned to Joanna and said, "God has done something wonderful here!" Joanna just smiled and replied, "Yes He has, doctor…Yes, He certainly has!"
I sat in the audience a few days ago and watched as the 5th Graders processed one by one across the stage to receive their diplomas for graduating from Elementary School. I saw one of my children walk across followed momentarily by a young survivor named Molly. I glanced at the proud mother who hurried up front to take a picture.
Acts 17:27 "His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him– though he is not far from any one of us."
Yes, God was working on September 11th, 2001 just as He works today, reaching out to bring hope and salvation to a broken and unbelieving world. God is so good…all the time!
