“She focused on The Wishing Tree in the park like area across the circle, the tree where patients and family members hung paper symbols of their wishes and prayers to be freed of this horrible disease.”
– Faces of Courage
The Wishing Tree is real! It is in a courtyard near one of City of Hope’s front entrances. (It’s a huge facility, so there are many entrances.)
My daughter is treated at this outstanding facility, and we have dubbed the tree the “Prayer Tree.” Melanie’s son, at about age seven, hung his prayer on this same tree: “I wish my Mom didn’t have cancer.” Kind tears up a Grandma’s heart.
Wishes are fun to imagine, but we, as followers of Jesus, know it’s the prayers that count. We are to bring everything to the Lord in prayer without ceasing. He hears because He loves us.
At the same time, He wants what’s best for our eternal soul and has a plan for us. That plan may include trials, but it always includes Him going through them with us. He will never leave or forsake us, all the way to heaven.
We may never know why the Lord has allowed such things in our lives, but we can be certain God’s promises are reliable, and He is faithful to provide an escape. With that confidence we can persevere, and perseverance works patience, endurance, steadfastness.
Unceasing prayer helps us persevere.
Is the Lord walking you through some hard times? “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” (Romans 12:s2 CSB)
What prayer (“wish”) would you hang on the Wishing Tree?
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