This Kind Goeth Not Out But By Prayer and Fasting
July 21, 2008 | Items of Interest
Greetings, family. We’re of course counting down the days until we all meet in Alabama. Just a little over a week till our family leaves!
Now, I have a special request, from myself, but on behalf of our daughter, sister, wife, mother and aunt Beth Polhemus Rohrach, whom most all of you know. She and I have always had a special relationship and we still talk from time to time.
I spoke with her last week and she revealed that she has had some health problems of late, related to her back. I hope she’ll forgive me if I don’t have all the facts straight, and I’m sure she’ll correct anything that I have wrong.
She had been complaining of lower back pain, and went to see an Orthopaedist. He told her she’d probably need surgery for what looked like a herniated, or perhaps ruptured disc between two of her vertabrae. This isn’t an unusual procedure any more; our father Bill Sr. had it done about thirty years ago, and I’m sure the procedure has improved much since that time.
In the meantime, the Orthopaedist recommended that she get a “pain block” (epidural, I’m assuming) under a surgeon’s care, as she and her family were about to leave on vacation. She had that done, but just a few days later, while they were away, it “broke,” and she spent a couple of agonizing days on her hotel bed, downing pain pills, until they could get her home.
Upon examination by the surgeon, it was discovered that somehow the pain-block procedure had actually caused direct damage to the spinal cord itself, causing some bruising, perhaps even ongoing bleeding. At that point she also consulted a neurologist. Of the three physicians, the orthopaedist, surgeon and neurologist, two recommended the disc surgery and one strenuously recommended against it.
So Beth is left with the lingering pain which COULD actually get worse at some point, and a decision to make regarding the surgery. She wanted my input.
I suggested that this was something a bit beyond human understanding, given the risks, and I thought that we should have a family fast and prayer day on next Sunday, July 27, which is the Sunday before our reunion, and also that we gather to give her a priesthood blessing, those who would desire to do so, and hopefully we can give her some relief and also help her to decide what she ought to do.
So please, plan to fast and pray on this coming Sunday, on behalf of Beth, if you would. Those who have the opportunity to do so should also consider putting her name on the temple prayer roll.
Here is a scripture that came to my mind when I was talking to Beth about it:
14 …there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he afalleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O afaithless and bperverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your aunbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have bfaith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this cmountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be dimpossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this akind goeth not out but by prayer and bfasting.
Matthew 17:14-21
I hope we can have a good participation on Beth’s behalf.
Love, Bro. Bill.
3 Responses to “This Kind Goeth Not Out But By Prayer and Fasting”
We will all meet together for healings of every kind.
Papa Luis will be busy blessing us everyone. Beth most of all, a good priesthood circle with prayers all around will be welcomed by all I am sure.
Imagine all of you… how quick we were to dash out that door when we were young, groaning because Mom announced it was FHE time, stomping when chores were called for or dishes needed doing. How nice it will be to chat while doing dishes this week. We were all so ready to run down that block to meet friends or to the Mall or the dance or to push away from the dinner table. We now have a chance to get together while we are all whole (mostly) and sane (mostly).
I went to UAB Hospital to sit with Fred Polhemus Saturday Night (Bill Polhemus SR’s oldest brother). He probably won’t be with us through the end of the week. The cancer is everywhere. His son Rick was there with his wife and daughter Stephanie (25 yrs old). Though humor abounded (Fred has a sense of humour drier than the Sahara Desert) and everyone was glad to see one another (I haven’t seen my cousin Rick in 20 years) this is never the situation one chooses to get back together. Fred hugged me and kissed my hand and said he was so glad to see me. Rick told me that the night before, Bill SR had to go out in the hallway to cry because Fred had just thanked his little brother for all the wonderful things he had done for him and his family over the years and Fred told him that he loved him. If you have ever known Fred, you’d know that was NOT his natural way of expressing himself.
I spent Sunday evening at the home of Bill Polhemus SR’s sister, Amanda Lemay. Jacob and I went over to eat with Bill SR with his wife Sarah, Amanda with her husband Bobby, the other sister Mary with her husband Ben and Fred’s wife Beverly. Believe me when I say that loud get togethers are not just specific to Pagan get togethers. Bill SR was his jovial self, Amanda tooled around and hostessed as best she could and Mary sat on the couch to converse. They talked about everything and Mary turned to me and she asked me why my mother, Elaine never became a writer. I told her that Mom writes quite often now, why would she wonder that. Mary said that while she and Ben were stationed in Japan she used to get the most glorious letters from Mom. They were so detailed you could see and smell everything she was describing. I told Mary that Mom still writes that way and has several Grand daughters that have the same gift. Those letters came to Mary 50 years ago and she still remembered them fondly.
Anyway, the point of my own novel here was to say… let’s enjoy this upcoming opportunity. Let’s hug and bless one another while we can and while we are all still healthy and happy and earthbound.
The very moment that has just passed by
It’s gone forever you can laugh or cry
In our memories we fall or fly …away
Let’s have some good memories cause the Grandkids will be talking about this when they get together in 2058:)
By Bud on Jul 22, 2008
Thank you so much for this post. its been hectic at work this week because of inventory and I finally have a day off tomorrow to see uncle fred. I am so glad i called you buddy and you could be there for Dad and Uncle fred. It means everything to me that you were there for dad
By lainie on Jul 25, 2008
Bill i have always loved that scripture because it is so true!!!! I will pray for Beth. I will always remember that she told me her patriarchal blessing was not good.
By lainie on Jul 25, 2008