Raise a Hallelujah
In December 2017, 2-year old Jaxon Taylor was airlifted to an intensive care unit with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS) caused by an E. coli infection in his kidneys. His kidneys completely shut down, he began having seizures, and his situation quickly turned critical. Even after blood transfusions and dialysis, he remained hospitalized and completely unresponsive.
At his bedside, all parents Joel and Janie Taylor could do was pray. They also recruited an army of prayer warriors to lift their precious son up to Almighty God asking for a miracle. After weeks of uncertainty, the doctor came in with devastating news. Surgery was the only option and they didn’t think young Jaxon would make it through the surgery.
"I thought, I'm losing my son," his mother, Janie Taylor, stated. "Even if he makes it through this, I don't know if he'll ever know me again. He was gone."
The Taylor family updated their faithful prayer team. Jonathan and Melissa Helser of Bethel Music were members of the group praying for Jaxon. Admittedly, their response to this devastating update wasn’t one of positivity.
"I just felt like this giant of unbelief stood in front of me and I just thought, 'Jaxon's gonna die tonight. We're not going to see the miracle,'" Jonathan shared. "And, as this giant stood in front of me, all of a sudden, out of my gut, this song started coming out."
"I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies," he started singing in a spontaneous moment in worship. "My weapon is a melody" and "Heaven comes to fight for me." He recorded it and sent it to the Taylors, who played the song over and over again for Jaxon in the hospital bed.
Soon, Jaxon started talking. Then he began walking again. He soon was able to come home. Today he is perfectly healthy. And the song Raise a Hallelujah has impacted the lives of millions of people. All because a group of people chose to praise God in the middle of their storm.
So, what does this have to do with the coronavirus? It is a storm for many people. It has impacted jobs, stocks, businesses, and lifestyles. For some, it has had a direct effect on their health or their family’s health. We have a choice to make in how we respond to this crisis. Can I challenge you to “raise a hallelujah” in the middle of the mystery? Can I encourage you to “sing in the middle of the storm?” Can I remind you that “death is defeated, and the King is alive?”
If we could talk to Joel and Janie Tayler right now, I doubt they are too worried about COVID-19. They know what a great God we serve.
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