“Oh good, you’re up.”
I grunt. I’m not sure that’s an accurate assessment. Sure, my body is upright, but my brains are scrambled and threatening to slide out of my skull at any moment.
“Feeling any better?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “My head’s still too heavy, but at least it’s a throb and not a pounding anymore.”
“What are the docs doing about the headaches?”
“They prescribed migraine meds and told me they’ll monitor everything.” I pause, then rush forward. “My scans all came back clean.”
“That’s good, right?” Javier asks.
“No, man. I mean, yes, that’s good. But what I’m trying to say is. My. Scans. All. Came. Back. Clean.”
Silence fills the room, and I wait for my teammate’s response.
“Are you saying there was absolutelynothingwrong on the images?”
“Yep.”
“No lesion?”
“Nope.”
Javier whoops. “Sorry, my bad, but, Crank, that’s awesome. Do they think your vision will come back?”
“They have no idea. I want to hope, but the way these migraines have left me debilitated the last couple of days has me hesitating.”
“Hope, man. We’re believing Jesus for a miracle. I’ll pray for you every day. So will Yas and Raimo. I’ll even pray right now.”
I still. “Really?”
“Crank, I’ve been praying for every single person in the Warriors organization since I got drafted. I have no idea if anyone will come to belief because of my prayers, but I know God hears them. It’san honor and a privilege to pray for someone else. So of course, I’d pray for my teammate and friend.”
“I appreciate you never giving up on me despite how many times I ignored your comments about God.”
“Hey, I get it. You didn’t have the faith or background to understand how serious I was. Maybe I could’ve better shown you the difference He’s made in my life.”
“Nah. The timing had to happen when it did. If I hadn’t gotten the concussion, lost hockey...” I shrug my shoulders. “It had to happen the way it did.” The truth is right before me.
“Good outlook to have.”I hear Javier sit. “Let’s pray.”
I bow my head and listen.
“Lord God, thank You so much for the gift that is Jabari ‘Crank’ Hall. I’ve never been happier to see anyone go to an altar call and devote their life to Jesus. I know the angels rejoiced more boldly and louder than I did.”
His words settle around me, and the same atmosphere change I experienced at his church begins to fill my living room.
“Lord, we come boldly before You to ask for a miracle for Your son, Jabari. We pray that You would restore his sight. That You would remove the migraines and complete any other healing in him that needs to happen. We surrender to Your ultimate will but believe mightily that You can give him this miracle. Please, Lord, if You’re willing, heal Your child.”
Once more I’m moved to tears by someone’s prayers, but this time I keep them internal. I’ve never heard a man outside the pulpit pray aloud before, and I’m realizing how much I need this. Hockey players are beasts on the ice, but right now, Javier is showing me another way to behave. I can’t believe how much he’s teaching me, but I’m not going to ignore his wisdom simply because he’s younger than me.
“In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.”
I open my eyes, and nothing looks changed, but somethinginside me is. That glimmer of hope I had when my CT images came back clean feels more concrete now.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate you more than I can say.”
