There may be nothing harder than watching your child be very sick. Parents of a sick child live in hospital rooms, on the phone with doctors, and in a fog of worry. Brothers and sisters get pushed aside. Bills pile up. And friends often stay away, because they are afraid of saying the wrong thing.
There is a story about a father whose daughter was dying.
The father who begged
Jairus was a leader of the synagogue in his town, the place where people met to pray. He was an important man. But when his twelve-year-old daughter was dying, none of that mattered. He threw himself at Jesus's feet and begged him to come and put his hands on her.
Jesus went with him. On the way, they were delayed, and messengers came with terrible news: his daughter had died. Jesus told Jairus, "Be not afraid, only believe," and kept walking with him.
Little girl, arise
At the house, people were crying loudly. Jesus went into the room where the girl lay, with only her parents and three of his followers.
The Gospel of Mark, one of the four accounts of Jesus's life, recorded the words Jesus spoke in Aramaic, the everyday language he used at home.
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Mark 5:41 · King James VersionThe original Greek
καὶ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ παιδίου λέγει αὐτῇ· Ταλιθα κουμ, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον· Τὸ κοράσιον, σοὶ λέγω, ἔγειρε.
Found in Codex Vaticanus (about AD 325), Codex Sinaiticus (about AD 350).
Talitha cumi is Aramaic, the everyday language Jesus spoke. The oldest copies spell the second word "koum."
"Little girl, get up." And she did. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
We cannot do what Jesus did in that room. But we can do what he did on the road. He went with the father, all the way.
Ways to help
Take over the meals. Organize a meal schedule, or send gift cards for food near the hospital.
Care for the siblings. School runs, homework help, sleepovers and a little fun. They are scared too.
Handle the house. Laundry, cleaning, pets, mail and yard work.
Help at the hospital. Bring snacks, a phone charger, or sit with the child so a parent can shower or sleep.
Offer specific help. "I can drive Thursday" works better than "let me know."
Help with money, if you can. Gas, parking and missed work add up fast. Some families set up a fund.
Do not disappear. Long illnesses go on for months. Keep checking in.
Pray for them, and tell them you are. Many families say it means a lot.
Walk with them
Jesus did not send Jairus home alone with bad news. He walked with him into the house. If you know a family with a sick child, you can walk with them too, one meal and one ride at a time.