Is There No Balm in Gilead?

Jesus can heal our eyes, our ears, or our legs but most importantly He can heal our hearts.

When Jesus feed the 5000 He had His disciples gather up the leftovers—proving that His capacity is always enough and to spare.

Shortly after my mission, while a student at Brigham Young University, I received a phone call from my dad. He told me that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer …

The medical providers of the day suggested surgery to try and curtail the spread of the cancer. Our family earnestly fasted and prayed for a miracle. I felt that we had sufficient faith that my father could be healed. Just prior to the surgery, my older brother, Norm, and I gave my dad a blessing. With all the faith we could muster, we prayed that he would be healed.

The surgery was scheduled to last many hours, but after just a short time, the doctor came to the waiting room to meet with our family. He told us that as they began the surgery, they could see that the cancer had spread throughout my father’s body. Based upon what they observed, my father had just a few months to live. We were devastated.

As my father awakened from the surgery, he was anxious to learn if the procedure had been successful. We shared with him the grim news.

We continued to fast and pray for a miracle. … Just a few months after the surgery, as predicted by the surgeon, my father did pass away.

…

The Old Testament teaches of an aromatic spice or ointment used for healing wounds that was made from a bush grown in Gilead. In Old Testament times, the ointment came to be known as the “balm of Gilead.” … I was wondering, “Is there no balm in Gilead for the Nielson family?”

I appreciate hearing the explanation of the phrase “balm of Gilead.”

Four men carried a man sick of the palsy to be healed by the Savior. They were unable to make their way through the crowd, and so they uncovered the roof of the house and lowered the man down to meet the Savior.

As I read this account, I was surprised by what the Savior said as He met this man: “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” I

thought that if I had been one of the four men who had carried this man, I might have said to the Savior, “We actually brought him here to be healed.” I think the Savior might have replied, “I did heal him.” Was it possible that I had not fully understood—that the Savior’s healing power was not just His ability to heal our bodies but, perhaps even more important, His ability to heal our hearts and the broken hearts of my family?

The Savior taught an important lesson through this experience as He eventually physically healed the man. It became clear to me that His message was that He could touch the eyes of those who were blind, and they could see. He could touch the ears of those who were deaf, and they could hear. He could touch the legs of those who could not walk, and they could walk. He can heal our eyes and our ears and our legs, but most important of all, He can heal our hearts as He cleanses us from sin and lifts us through difficult trials.

…

But here is the greater lesson I learned. I had mistakenly believed that the Savior’s healing power had not worked for my family. As I now look back with more mature eyes and experience, I see that the Savior’s healing power was evident in the lives of each of my family members. I was so focused on a physical healing that I failed to see the miracles that had occurred.

When we feel unheard by Heavenly Father it is probably wise to have our first reaction be “have I misunderstood? Did I miss something? Now I wonder, are there things I have missed on how the savior had supported my family through our trials?