And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him; and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."
Mark 5:21–23 (RSV)
Early in the morning of the 25th of February, 1989, my youngest brother, Doug, died. He had been battling the same lung disease that Mark has. A transplant would have probably saved his life, but medical science wasn't advanced to operate successfully in those days.
His last nine days in hospital were spent surrounded by family, praying for a miracle. The miracle we sought did not come in the manner for which we longed.
Jairus came to Jesus pleading for a miracle. His daughter lay near death, so he sought Jesus as his last hope. We know the rest of the story. Jesus raised her from death to life. Her family rejoiced, and we praise Jesus for such mercy.
We pray for life for those we love, and, at times, those prayers are not answered to our eyes. We are taught that God will hear our prayers. We expect a response. We know the reply we wish to have, but it is not always the response we receive.
The mystery of God's will and purpose lies beyond us. We make our prayers, trusting that the Father hears them. We spend a lifetime learning to be at peace in our prayers. Faith lives in the world of prayers whose answers we do not always see or comprehend. In such faith, we continue to pray, 'Thy will be done.'