Rapha by Joel Collishaw

Dear person listening,

Sickness and disease are hard pills to swallow. When someone you love gets sick, when you get sick, going through it is an experience that no one wants to go through. It brings on a lot of feelings like anger, sadness, frustration, worry, anxiety and we can become so overwhelmed. But just know that you're not alone.

My mom was diagnosed with cancer in her mid 20's. Not just any cancer but leukemia, a cancer in your bones during a time when medical advances were limited. Doctors were sure she would die. I had to move 1200 miles away to live with my aunt and uncle in Florida while my mom fought for her life and my dad finished his prison sentence. I was just a kid, innocent, what did I do? I didn't deserve this life. Not even in school yet and I'm on the verge of losing both parents. Just like anyone, throughout my life I've asked, why? Sometimes I get an answer but most of the time I've come to learn that it's not about the why but The Who and the what. The Who is God, more specifically Jehovah Rapha, which means "The God who heals" which is an opportunity to see God as a healer in my life. And the what, is in seeing what God is doing in my life, what God is trying to show me, teach me and speak to me.

Sometimes sickness, disease and near death experiences open our eyes. We walk this life blinded to things until we are forced to see. In it, we gain a sense of appreciation for life, we recognize our desperation and look up because, let's be honest, if nothing bad ever happened, we would live our lives thinking we don't need God. So the beauty in it is that we get to look to Him and see Him work. We get to find our faith, build on it, learn to trust Him, we develop a relationship with Him that when bad things happen, we aren't going through them alone, we have a God who loves us to turn too. God is not afraid of the dark times, He walks with us through the fire and the storms. Does that mean healing always comes? No. At least not in the way we think. Sometimes we have to be able to step outside of ourselves, turn away from our own desires to see that if someone dies from a disease it can be freedom for that person even though it hurts us. My dad died and it hurt, but years later I realized that God was freeing him from his addiction and freeing our family from a life of fear, anxiety, constant worrying and abuse. We experienced a new life after that and while it was painful to go through, we saw that it was God's blessing that got us there. On the other hand, my mom was healed of her cancer, doctors were shocked and even said it was a miracle. She's still alive to this day, so healing can look different if we're open to seeing it.

Connect with me on your social media of choice, typically a quick search for Hydro Walkers or hydrowalkersmusic will get you there. Feel free to share your story in the comments, DM, whatever you're comfortable with. We're all in this together. Let's pray for healing.

Tracklist

1.	Joel Collishaw - Rapha	3:49

Credits

released February 4, 2022
Joel Collishaw

License