This One Is For Joe

Yesterday, Igwe and I went to a new church – Life Source, located on Rossville Boulevard, here in Baltimore, Maryland.  Since we moved, I have been driving past the church, and each time I pass, I feel an inclination to go in there. So I googled them and found their website where I figured out their service time.  9am and 11am. I told Igwe that we had to go, and so we did.  We finally made it there yesterday. It was mixed. Black people. White people. Hispanic people. African people. Asian people. It was very diverse.

I LOVED the service. And I cried my eyes out. The members of the choir and some of the congregation wore a blue t-shirt with a white inscription that said, “Joe Day.” I assumed it was a regular thing in the church, but because we were new, we had no idea what it meant.

I asked the couple behind us, but they did not know what it meant. So we just waited patiently. Finally, we watched a one-man video on the projector screen. It was Joe. And he was telling us his story. In the video, he wore a black eye patch that covered one eye; it had a picture of a white cross on it.

Joe – whose last name I do not know- told the story of how he had a tumor in his head and was diagnosed with cancer. He was operated on and his right eye was taken out. That was why he had the patch on his eye. Still, he had faith in God, and he continued to trust in God to heal him.

Not too long ago, he woke up and his vision in the left (and only) eye was blurry. Over the next month, he completely lost vision in that eye. So now, Joe is completely blind. Still, he has faith. He continues to do his work in the ministry. He goes on streets and preaches the gospel and he continues to create music CDs, thanks to a loyal friend of his who takes him around all day, everyday. The doctors told him that he has 12 to 18 months to live. We (the church) prayed for him.

We could support Joe by buying a t-shirt or a wrist bracelet. Igwe and I bought the bracelets, and I have been wearing it since yesterday. I will take it off when Joe gets his healing. And if the bracelet cuts before that time, I will buy another one. As long as they still have it, I will continue to buy it until Joe gets his healing.

I did not cry just because I was feeling empathetic, but because I am healthy. I am alive. I am not homeless. I am not poor. I am not hungry.  In fact, I am truly blessed and highly favored. And if the stories I heard about Joe are true, then I know that I know that I know, that Joe is a better person than I am. Yet, here we are.

The most I can do now is thank the good Lord for His mercies and pray that this is a battle that I never, ever have to fight. Meanwhile, please take a few moments of your time today to say a prayer for Joe’s healing. Amen. And thank you.

By His stripes, we have been healed. By His stripes, Joe, you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)