Many of you have heard me speak of Jenny Rowbury before. She’s a young woman in England, who in her first year at university became ill with a virus that caused severe M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: inflammation of the brain and spinal cord). She has been bed-bound ever since and unable to sit up because of strain on her cardiovascular system. This incredibly creative woman wrote a book of poetry called Rainbows In My Eyes, that we’ve made available through Lifestream. You can read more and order her book of poetry here. If you’ve not read them, you might want to. She is playful and poignant as she wrestles with the reality of her condition and her disappointment in her unanswered prayers for healing. She offers a gut-wrenching, but ultimately hopeful portrayal of her journey inside the love of a Father that she gets to know better with each passing day.
My heart has been touched by her poetry and her story. I pray for her often and hear from her occasionally, mostly through her parents. Yesterday they sent me her latest poem entitled Gethsemane. This is the week a lot of believers celebrate the story of Jesus’ sacrifice and his resurrection and that time in the Garden is where Jesus turned the anguish in his soul into a confidence in Father’s hand that could take him through the trial and tortures that were to come. Having just been in the garden myself a couple of months ago, I was touched by the poem an the thought that as we pray in our extremeties we are in him as well and his prayer counts for us all.
You can read Gethsemane here and check out other parts of Jenny’s website. She’s am amazing woman, enduring an excruciating illness and would be blessed by your love and prayers.
“May God’s grace flood your being today, Jenny! May the fullness of his love course through your veins with healing and hope until you experience the fullness of his salvation in the freedom of your heart and in the full redemption of your body! You are dearly loved. May you know joy, freedom, and delight in his wonder. Always!”
*Artwork above courtesy of A Man LIke No Other.
