Sick Friends

Depression hits so many people.  We hide it well.  I have a friend whose daughter is depressed.   I have family and friends who have struggled with depression.  It's hardest when the community is involved with some stupid mistake that you wished you never did.  I have friends who are living with that. Jobs, identity, marriages, friends all shift and are possibly lost.  Isolation seems like a good idea.

I feel a whisper from the Holy Spirit to create a guided meditation for such people.  People who are sitting in the dirt and can't seem to get up.  People who are stuck and feel like giving up.  Despair and isolation seem to be holding onto each empty hand.  So how to release these two demons?  

Are you a Sister in Christ to someone?

Community, and in one particular case, a community of women I will call Sisters in Christ (SIC) must help.  Yes, she needs her "SIC--FRIENDS...  SIC friends need to hold those hands and lead her back.  Perhaps they need to carry her like the friends in Luke 5?

The Healing of a Paralytic.

 17 [e]One day as Jesus was teaching, 

Pharisees[f] and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. 18 And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. 19 But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles[g] into the middle in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Our SIC friends need to come together in prayer and lift this sister up out of her darkness.  Old Testament beliefs were that infirmity was the result of sin- one's own or one's ancestors.  (scripture)  

 However, Jesus says later in Luke 13 that we all need to repent.  We are all sinners.  So with this in mind- we bring our soul sick sister to Jesus with the faith that God heals still to this day.  We carry her and lift her (rather than lower her through the roof).  We lend our spiritual strength for her and Jesus will grant healing as he always does with great faith.  We all repent alongside her and ask for the Holy Spirit to blow new life, and breath into all of us.

Guided meditation to bring her to Jesus' healing...  (still working on this...it may not work.  Send a request to share the google audio for this at jeanne.slifka@gmail.com - it works best to just listen and follow along with your eyes closed)

Perhaps this might help as you pray with your sick friend:  

You may click on an audio or read aloud in prayer.  Guided medication/meditation

Close your eyes and take a deep breath.  Relax.  Allow your body to be in a comfortable position- sitting with your hands in your lap or lay down.

Feel the breath come in and fill your lungs.  

Now slowly release it slowly.

As you breathe in, imagine the air coming in is warm, light, it is the very breath of God.  As you breathe out, let go of anything weighing you down.  Watch your breath as it cleanses you and fills you with the Holy Spirit.  

(deep breaths)

Now I want you to focus on your lungs.  

Take a deep breath in with me...   your entire chest is warm, full of light, and you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Imagine it stays warm and light and peaceful.

As you breathe in it spreads a bit- feel that warmth, peace, and love.  Feel it spread up to your neck and down to your belly so that your whole trunk is filled with a warm sense of peace.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence goes down your shoulders, slowly past your elbows, and to your fingertips.  Let it go down, to your wrists...  to your fingers.  You feel weightless and relaxed.  Let gravity take hold.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence goes down past your hips, legs and to your feet.  Allow your feet to sink down Allow yourself to lie heavy.  You are feeling incredibly at peace and aware that you are in the presence of God.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence of peace goes up your neck, past your ears, and chin, above your nose and eyes, up to your forehead to the top of your head and beyond.  Just breathe.  You are bathing in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Allow yourself to be still.

Now, see yourself in a room.  Imagine you are in a simple space and you are resting in a small bed.  You are dreaming that you have been called to help a very sick person.  This person needs to be in the presence of Christ.  You have somehow recognized that you are supposed to help carry this person.   You wake up and walk outside where you see other Sisters in Christ gathering.  You walk to the house of the person who is sick.  You are quiet.  You all simply know what you are to do.

Go into the house and see that you are lifting (name of person)  onto a cot and you carry her out.  It is not difficult at all.  If you feel that you are the sick person, allow yourself to be carried.  See yourself in that cot. The people carrying this cot are strong and seem to know just what to do.  You are outside and you pass a scene- a group of people surrounding Jesus.  You see fancy robes and very knowing people who are questioning Jesus.  You see people scowling in the crowd.  You see sorrowful faces.  You see a woman about to be stoned for some sin. You see judgment.  You are standing there just listening.   John 8

Jesus says "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her".  One by one, people begin to leave.  First the elders.  He was writing something in the sand- in the dirt.  As they began to see it, they walked away.  Until it is just Jesus, the woman, and you.  You see this moment and you realize that we are all valued and can heal.

You hear Jesus say to this woman in the dirt... HAS NO ONE CONDEMNED YOU?  SHE REPLIES, NO ONE SIRE.  THEN JESUS SAYS, NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU.  GO AND FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE.

Look at the woman in the dirt.  She does not know what to do.  Forgiven?  Really? Me?  But what about my shame?  And really does God not judge me when so many others do?  What about my own judgment? How do I let that go?

Jesus bends down and writes something in the dirt.  

She looks down at it.  Then He walks over to where you are.  You bring the cot to the ground, closer to Jesus.  Jesus looks at the 2 women and says to all of you, Do YOU WANT HEALING?  YOU ALL CAN RECEIVE A HEALING.  See yourself say yes, and accept it. Ask the Holy Spirit to take over.   We all need help to get out of the dirt and RISE.  Let your sisters in Christ lift you and then let Jesus take you even higher.  

Let God be in charge. Let Him allow His creation to become what it is meant to be.  What He desires it to be.  As Jesus puts His hands on You, allow the Holy Spirit to enter every bit of you.

Sit in this space and just be.

As you are ready, come back to the present space.  Hold onto the healing and God's Spirit within you.  Take them with you as you walk away from this dirt.  You are clean and at peace.  You are healed.

 Let the Holy Spirit direct where you walk.

Final thoughts to ponder ...

Garth Brooks has a popular song- "I've got friends in low places"  and the oasis is the local bar- community.  

• Where is your oasis?  How's it working for you?  
• When you are in the dirt- do you isolate?  Do you go into the dirt? or perhaps into the desert?  The desert might be that space where you rejuvenate.  The dirt is not that space.  
• What are you doing for those who are in the dirt?  Can you touch those in the dirt?  Today's lepers just might be those in isolation that make us uncomfortable.
• Can you carry that person so that he/she can see Jesus?  Can you be a bit uncomfortable as you carry that person closer to Jesus?  Can you lower them into the space- or raise them up to that space.  Can you let it go when you are in the presence of Christ and believe?  

Friends in High Places sermon