Jesus and Me

I lay on a medical cot in a cold, dimly lit, sterile room. A behemoth machine with one great telescopic eye hummed, clicked, and slowly circled around my body searching for the best angle to stop and deliver another blast of cancer-killing radiation. This was my first of forty-four scheduled treatments; I was extremely anxious and feeling totally overwhelmed. As I lay there, trying to cope with it all, I closed my eyes and started to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven . . . .” Soon, my concerns and anxieties faded, and I felt Jesus there by my side as I continued to pray.

Before I knew it the technician came in and informed me that the session was over. She would see me at the same time and same place tomorrow. Over the next two months, I came to view those treatments as special times. No longer worried and afraid, I passed the time peacefully praying — just me and Jesus.

I wish I could say that since then my prayer life has been special all the time, but truthfully, it has not. Sometimes I forget that Jesus is with me as I go through my day, and all too often, I forget to pray. I just know this: during the difficult times and the easy times, everything in my life is better when I pray.