Bitterness and resentment is like a cancer that can spread through the body .
Wendy walked from the doctors with a vague look on her face . She almost walked into the path of an on coming truck that had to swerve to miss her . The truck driver blasted his horn which seemed to bring Wendy back to her senses .
The news that she had breast cancer had hit her very hard .
Her recent divorce left her shattered and she thought about the years that had come and gone . They weren’t nice times and she herself knew that she also contributed a lot to the marriage break up . She never really needed to share things with anyone before and now for the first time in a long time she needed someone .
She had always cut things with alcohol and drank most everyday after work .
Even though her life was a mess ,Wendy was tough .
She had to be to survive .
Day after day she just went through the motions .
She went to her office job and continued to treat those around her as life had treated her . Life was unfair and for her it wouldn’t change .
Her breast cancer treatment conflicted with her alcohol abuse and she had to make a choice .
It almost seemed like a predestined decision that was made when one night as Wendy walked down to the liquor shop to buy a few bottles she heard this wonderful music and intensely beautiful singing . She was drawn to it .
It led her to the Town Hall where a small group of young people stood on the steps .
“Come inside , you’re very welcome here in this place . “
Said a young girl to Wendy .
Wendy turned around to leave but was followed by a young man who said ,
“Please come in . There is help for you here .“
Those words echoed around in Wendy’s head over and over .
She knew that something was happening to her that she couldn’t explain .
She was escorted inside the town hall by two of the group .
The hall was packed with people who where standing on their feet singing and praising with their arms lifted up high .
Wendy looked at their faces . They were all so happy and peaceful .
Suddenly the music stopped and people began to sit down on seats .
A very well dressed man took a microphone and started to speak to the gathering .
“Oh yes Jesus . How precious is your name . “
The responses from the people in the hall was instant .
Some cheered and some danced .
Wendy was stunned and very much involved with an unexplained emotion .
She was in the hands of something out of her control . Divided between total surrender and a need to seek real help and support she accepted the place where she stood .
Hundreds of people sat down on their seats and Wendy joined them as the speaker continued to speak to the gathering .
He told his personal story of being cured from cancer and how he had since given his life to the Lord Jesus .
Wendy saw for the first time a glimmer of hope in her life .
At the end of the testimony the speaker invited any one who was sick and who needed prayers to come up to the front . He encouraged people to come forward . Wendy watched form her seat as many of the people up the front were approached by various prayer leaders who placed their hands on their heads . Some people seemed to fall to the floor as if touched by some invisible force . All this time music was being softly played by a group of musicians in the corner of the hall .
Suddenly the man with the microphone said ,
“I have just received a word of knowledge . There is someone here tonight with a cancer and this word is for you . Please , trust , just come . There is healing here , so come .“
Wendy was reluctant and sat tight .
Another man up front who seemed to be the pastor took the microphone and started to praise in a foreign language .
Then he spoke in English .
“I have a prophetic word for some one here this evening . Someone with breast cancer . Some one with an alcohol problem . You know who you are .
I have a name . again I urge you not to be afraid . That person’s name has five letters in it . It begins with W . “
“Yes Jesus .“
The people in the hall chanted .
Wendy took a deep breath and walked up to the front .
People responded and began to applaud and call out the name Jesus .
In a few moments Wendy was standing before the entire gathering .
The speaker urged her to come forward .
Wendy was surrounded by prayer leaders who placed their hands before her chanting and praying . They continued to pray and were joined by the pastor who placed his hand on Wendy’s head .
The pastor took the microphone and said ,
“There is something blocking our prayers . People join us . Everyone focus on this person before me and pray along with me .
Then all of the faithful in the gathering reached out their hands and started to chant and pray .
The pastor again took the microphone . He looked at Wendy and said ,
“Something’s not right here . Have you a grudge against anybody . Is there someone you haven’t forgiven in your life .”
Wendy kept quiet .
The pastor continued ,
“I feel there is a barrier here . I get a sense of something preventing the holy spirit ability to be present here . “
Wendy rplied ,
“Well there is my ex-husband who I haven’t spoke since our divorce and also my and I haven’t spoke for years .“
The pastor continued .
“Well then before you can receive a healing from our prayers you have to make the peace with these people . If you can talk to them during the week , come back here next Sunday for prayers .“
He took the microphone and began to pray for Jesus to remove any bitterness from Wendy’s heart . The entire gathering also joined in the prayer .
At the end of the evening Wendy did feel a little better than before .
There was a definite change in her attitude .
During the week she made contact with her sister and her ex-husband .
She even began to treat her colleagues at work much better ..
The following Sunday Wendy returned to the Town Hall .
When she went up for prayers , she told the pastor that she had made peace with her sister and husband . Everyone applauded and immediately Wendy was approached by members of the prayer team .
When they reached out to pray for her , Wendy could feel a surge of energy flow through her body . It ran to her feet and straight back to her head . Then she felt her eyes close and she fell into the arms of one of the prayer team .
She was placed gently on the floor in a state of unconscious sleep .
She remained there for ten minutes before she stirred .
From that evening Wendy was a new person .
All the lumps in her breast had gone and she was feeling energises with a new life .
The doctors and specialists refused to believe that the cancer had been destroyed .All the ex-rays still showed that the cancer was still present .
Wendy argued that she had never felt better in her life .
Her hair was growing back shiny and it had a beautiful vitality about it . Her skin was glowing and her step had a bounce in every stride .
Wendy knew she had been cured .
Wendy wasn’t seen again for a few weeks at the Town Hall for Sunday worship . When she eventually she returned , she looked terrible .
She went up for prayers and everyone noticed could see she wasn’t well at all .
With a drawn and pale look on her face , she confessed that she had argued with her sister and also her husband . That evening she stated that she was never going to contact them again .
Wendy died two weeks later .
The doctors stated that the cancer in her breast had spread through her entire body at an such an accelerated speed that it was almost unbelievable .
Poetry. Various urgent, lively, and sometimes haunting poems appear here alongside stark black and white photos of Jones' homeless subjects. Jones takes on the plight of the homeless in different voices, echoing the thoughts of people on the streets,
Intuitively, I know I've lived many lifetimes, and none more interesting than the one I'm living now. However, being born an old soul somehow did not excuse me from the same job I share with you and that is learning to craft a positive attitude about
