Anointing Him With Oil

He kneeled at the centre of three circles.

In the centre was our friend with the pastor of the church.

Standing in the first circle with their arms reaching forward hands resting on both the pastor and our friend was his wife, mother, father, brothers.

In the second circle with our arms reaching forward hands resting on the shoulders of the first circle were his closest friends.

In the third circle their arms reaching forward hands resting on our shoulders were members of the congregation, and others who were drawn to this Sunday evening anointing service.

In the last stages of cancer, he so wanted to live and was prepare to die.

We prayed for healing, we prayed for faith, we prayed for hope, we prayed for courage, we prayed for him, his loved ones and ourselves.

Our faith was strong, strong enough to move mountains and our friend passed quietly into the arms of his God a few months later.

He was sick and called for the elders of the church and with them we prayed over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith that we prayed that evening saved him, and the Lord raised him up; and welcomed him home with the Lord.  (paraphrased from James 5:15)

Sometimes there is healing of the body 

and

Always there is healing of the spirit, the soul which is eternal!

Rather than diminishing my faith, his passing into the arms of God strengthen my connection to God.  With my hand resting on his wife's shoulder that Sunday evening I knew my God as Father, knew that he loved our friend with a passion that knew no boundaries. 

We had anointed him and faithfully placed him and his family in the loving hands of God.

Grandma Snyder

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