A Father's Prayer

The witness, an Australian nurse, recently arrived in Haiti, was utterly overcome as she watched the young father, as strong as he was tender, cradling his only son, a tiny but growing infant in his large, powerful hands.

Photo Courtesy of Katie MacGregor

The Father's behaviour was like that of parents the world over. He undid the sleeper, counted ten fingers and ten toes, then  unfastened the diaper, and apparently finding everything in order, nodded his head. With tears streaming down his face, he kissed Charilson over and over, Caressed his soft curls, and smiled.

'I prayed everyday for my son. Everyday', he said, wiping the tears from his face.

The listeners where in little doubt that this was a holy moment. A father, who loved his son so much, that he would hand him over to us. A father who, heeded my caution, that the infant boy was incredibly frail,  and prayed without ceasing, for 6 weeks.

 In those 6 weeks, Charilson has been gravely ill, he has come back to us from the threshold of death and he has almost doubled his weight. The word miraculous is all too often used, and too lightly, yet excellent nursing care, good nutrition, and human love alone cannot explain Charilson's triumph over death.

Could it be that the constant prayers and the intercession of his earthly Daddy, and others who love this boy, paved the way for the divine to do an impossible work?

The miraculous may be a nebulous concept and one that is difficult to pin down, but a few things are not: I know that Charilson's Daddy is a wonderful father, and that he anxiously anticipates the day, when his son will be strong and healthy enough to return to a center closer to home. I know that I have learned something about love from this man, about simple uncomplicated faith, and I know that there is something about unceasing prayer - about it's ability to get impossible things done. 

Photo Courtesy of Katie MacGregor