A Prayer
As some of you probably know, my friend Charity has been diagnosed with cancer. Ah, but the way of our world now, with so many suffering because of what we've done to our earth and our foods— 1 in 3 Americans now get cancer (Steingraber, p.261).
Not that environmental causes have anything to do with Charity's case necessarily... her pre-existing health issues certainly make her vulnerable. But, at the very least, she represents the other vulnerable ones among us... the little ones, the frail and aged ones, who are also more threatened by toxic environments.
Anyway, I didn't mean to get up on my soapbox here (anyone interested in such a soapbox would be better served by reading Living Downstream.)
Indeed, I was originally just thinking of Charity, as today is her first day of chemotherapy. So, out in my little woods, I asked for a prayer for her. And this, this was what I found on today's page of Psalms...
from Psalm 142
I cry out loudly to GOD,
loudly I plead to GOD for mercy.
I spill out all my complaints before him,
and spell out all my troubles in detail.
As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
you know how I'm feeling,
Know the danger I'm in,
the traps hidden in my path...
I'm up against it, with no exit—
bereft, left alone.
I cry out, GOD, call out:
'You're my last chance, my only hope for life!'
Oh listen, please listen;
I've never been this low.
Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;
I'm no match for them.
Get me out of this dungeon
so I can thank you in public.
Your people will form a circle around me...
Grass, Fresh and Fallen photo by J. Barkat. Used by permission.
RELATED POST:
LL's Lament
posted by L.L. Barkat at 4:40 PM
3 Comments:
I've been wanting to buy "Wake up and smell the Earth" so I think I may buy this one with it.
Prayers for your friend.
powerful post... i prayed that psalm with you over charity just now, although i don't know her.
i have a friend, a young mom with 2 little ones, who just got thru a grueling year of chemo after being diagnosed with colon cancer. she's only in her 30's... and during that time, she met another young mom in her 30's dealing with the same kind of cancer that didn't make it. it is absolutely harrowing watching a dear friend go thru this devastating illness. i felt like i couldn't do enough to help her.
i do want to read 'living downstream' as you know the problems we are facing with that in our state. and i have to wonder at my friend's illness, living in a heavily mined area that's known for bad water.... i guess in some cases, we'll never know.
Heidi... I'll have to check out that other title. I'm always looking for good reads for my Social Issues Reading Group.
Blue... sigh. It's epidemic. And unfortunately there's so much we can't control. Diet helps, but there's so much more that goes into it.
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