Faith in Action

Newsday.com is reporting that gospel music legend, Dr. Timothy Wright and members of his family were involved in a tragic auto accident in Pennsylvania late Friday. Wright’s wife, Betty, died in the crash and he and the couple’s teenage grandson were critically injured.

There is no update yet on Pastor Wright’s condition. Please keep he, his grandson, and their family in your prayers. Condolences to the Wright family and the Grace Tabernacle Christian Center family as well concerning the tragic loss of Betty Wright.

Talia Marie Pleasant, a true angel who brought so many people together as she courageously battled cancer, passed away over the weekend making this Memorial Day special in more ways than one. Talia was a precious gift to her parents and family. She will be missed, but many are taking solace in the fact that she is no longer suffering from the scourge of cancer.

My prayers are with Talia’s family, especially her father, Jerome.

Here is a thoughtful video which tells a piece of Talia’s story through pictures and song.

God bless.

A good friend and brother of mine learned a couple of months ago that his wife has cancer. The exact name of it escapes me at the moment, but just the word “cancer” has such a certain negative connotation to it that to many it doesn’t matter what type it is…it’s just bad news.

Well, today - in fact in a few moments - his wife will undergo surgery in an attempt to remove the cancer from her body. The good news is that it is not a form of cancer that spreads to other parts of the body so if the doctors can get all of it out, there is a good chance - with additional medical treatment - that it won’t return.

I just prayed for her, him, and their family, but I also wanted to record my supplication here as well. I believe deeply in the power of prayer. I believe that something happens when we diligently seek to connect with The Almighty through the vehicle of communication known as prayer. Even as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my recent experiences have emboldened my conviction that prayer is the best thing that family, friends, and loved ones can do in times of sickness, trouble, or chaos.

I record this prayer as a testament to the miraculous power of Almighty God:

Most gracious God, I come before you with great sincerity lifting to you my dear brother, his wife, and family. As you know Lord, she is about to undergo surgery for cancer as I type these words. My prayer Lord is that you intervene in this situation. You know her. You created her. You formed and fashioned her as a gift to her husband, family, and this community. Now Lord, I pray that you heal her body. Heal her body, Lord. Be with the surgeons as they prepare to be used as instruments of divine healing. Clear their minds, steady their hands, calm their souls, and focus their attention on my sister. Strenghten my brother who is now sitting in the waiting area. Prop him up on every leaning side and embolden his faith so that he rests assured that you are well able to do anything, but fail. Be with their children as they have understandable concern for their mother. Show yourself strong to them so that they’ll grow in their ability to rely on you even under troubling circumstances. Have your way, Lord. I’m praying for a good report. I’ll be ever so mindful to give you all the praise, glory, and honor for this and the many other signs of your blessings to your people. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN.

My fast ended this past Tuesday at 12:00 Noon. Eight days I went without food drinking only water and juices in order to bring my flesh under subjection, clear my mind, and achieve a greater sense of intimacy with God. A very specific issue caused me to do this and reading the words of Jesus that “some things come only by prayer and fasting” (Matt 17: 14-21), I was led to engage in this ancient spiritual practice.

It was refreshing, invigorating, and spiritually satisfying. I needed to commune with God and I did even though attacks by the Adversary persisted. I was and am at peace.

During this season of fasting I learned how much support I really have in my circle of friends. Those who know me personally know that I am a giver. I give my time, energy, and resources to many many great causes and oftentimes to people that I may never see again. Likewise, I strive to be extremely supportive of those in my circle who are doing great things. To be honest, however, sometimes I wondered if I would receive the same level of support from others in my time of need. People say that they support you, they’re with you, they got your back, and the famous church line: “I’ll pray for you” - knowing that they aren’t going to pray. I wondered if I only have those type of folk in my circle. I no longer need to wonder.

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Monday, I received some troubling news that immediately rattled and unsettled me and my family. Everything went to the backburner and all of my energy and focus was on addressing this situation.

After the initial shock, I began to pray about it. There was a time when I considered prayer the “only” thing that I could do in reference to situations where I had lost all control. However, now I know that prayer isn’t the “only” thing that I can do - it’s the best thing that I can do.

Because the need is so great, not only am I in a heightened prayer posture this week, but I’m also fasting. My fast started Monday afternoon and will continue until Tuesday. My prayer is very specific and my fast is on purpose.

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I went to school with a good dude named Jerome Pleasant. Jerome always had smiles and would make you laugh. Just an all around good guy. I hadn’t seen him since he graduated, but I would see his older brother around and always ask about him. I was glad to hear that he was doing well.

You can imagine then my shock and dismay when I learned a couple years ago that Jerome’s then 3-year-old daughter, Talia Marie Pleasant, had been diagnosed with cancer. She had a grapefruit-sized tumor in her brain. She was rushed to surgery where they removed the tumor, but sadly another rare form of cancer was found some time after that in her stomach. During the successful surgeries to remove the cancer from her stomach, Jerome developed a rare bone cancer. Jerome’s surgery was successful and his cancer is now in remission. He’ll tell you that he is a better man because of Cancer. Though the road was rocky there for a while, it seemed as if Talia and Dad had beaten cancer for good.

However, I received sad news this morning from a high school classmate. Cancer has returned to Talia’s body. At 4 years old, this little girl has had to undergo more surgeries than many people do in their whole lifetime! Talia has proven one thing though. She is a fighter and she’s fighting right now as the doctors are talking to her family about quality of life and hospice care for the remainder of her life. The doctors were wrong before and there are many people praying that they are wrong again.

God is able. And I am a witness that the authority of God is higher than the ability of humanity. I’m sure that there are many people reading this right now who are witnesses to the miraculous healing power of God. I ask that you join in prayer with thousands of others who are interceding on Talia’s behalf right now. Below you’ll find some links to learn more about my boy, Jerome and his lovely daughter - the survivor, Talia.

WBAL TV 11 Coverage

The Baltimore Examiner Coverage

Talias Journey

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