November 4: Fern and Avery, Sister, Prayer for Healing

One evening, just before Christmas, snow began falling.  It covered house and barn and fields and woods.  Wilbur had never seen snow before.  When morning came he went out and plowed the drifts in his yard, for the fun of it.  Fern and Avery arrived, dragging a sled.  They coasted down the lane and out onto the frozen pond of the pasture.

Fern and Avery are pretty typical siblings.  Fern, the older sister, gets annoyed with her little brother's antics.  Always responsible and sensitive, Fern saves Wilbur's life at the beginning of the book when Mr. Arable is about to "do away" with him for being a runt.  Avery stuffs his pockets with snakes and frogs.  At one point, he tries to capture Charlotte for his bug collection, much to Fern's horror.  Avery doesn't see animals as companions.  He sees them as slimy and hairy and creepy.

Yet, for all their differences, Fern and Avery are always playing together.  Swimming.  Swinging.  Sledding.  There is a palpable sense of love between the two of them.  They care about each other deeply, even if they annoy the crap out of each other.

Being the youngest in a family of nine brothers and sisters, I know a thing or two about annoying my siblings.  It's inevitable for the baby of the family.  It's in the job description.  My sisters have always been really good to me, even if I lost their favorite swimming goggles or wrecked their just-paid-off cars.  Yes, we get on each other's nerves.  Yes, most of my sisters vote Republican.  Yes, they know I voted for President Obama twice (and would vote for him again).  Yet, like Fern and Avery, we care about each other deeply.

One of my sisters is facing a really significant health challenge right now.  She recently had back surgery, and now, three weeks after the fact, she is battling a raging infection.  She went back to work this morning, threw up three times, and went home.  It doesn't help that she's diabetic and was just diagnosed MRSA positive.  I have a feeling that she has a long recovery ahead of her.  I'm worried for her.

I'm asking my disciples to pray for my sister tonight.  Send thoughts of healing and health her way.  She's struggling, mentally and physically.  I'm sure she's not seeing a whole lot of light in her life at the moment.  Fern needs a miracle.

Saint Marty is looking for "Some Hope" in Charlotte's web tonight.

Prayer and hope are needed