Some friends have been away on a mission trip. With all the tragic events going on around the world, they have been in my mind and prayers. They arrived back home yesterday and stopped by today for a bit. They told us about their trip, the sights they saw, and how they were able to celebrate their Christian faith during Easter. It was very good to see them and know that they were safe.
I Found God today in the safety of friends.
When my parents and I attended the healing Mass a couple of months ago, we received some small containers of water from Lourdes. The other day when my friend was anointed, I gave him a bottle and encouraged him to start using it. His surgery was yesterday and I waited anxiously to hear how things went. Late last night, a family member shared that the extensive 7 1/2 hour surgery went better than expected. My friend was awake and recovering. The doctors were optimistic and gave a hopeful prognosis. Basically, everything proceeded as best case scenario. I’m sure all the prayers and blessings played a part and will continue to do so.
I Found God today in a positive outcome for my friend.
As I said yesterday, my travelling brother returned and will be staying in the area now for a while. We enjoyed having his company and hearing more stories about his adventures in person. I also appreciated his help and conversation in the kitchen. And we forgot how much fun it was to have his dog around. She is sweet, smart, and attentive. She made her rounds from person to person as someone entered the room or moved to a different place. Both my brother and his dog brought a little more excitement to our routine.
I Found God today in my brother’s company.
Today was a beautiful day getting together with the family. My brother who was travelling has returned and was able to join in the festivities once again. We decided to make a German meal as we were celebrating my parents’ anniversary and birthdays all together along with Easter. Every person made something to contribute – wiener schnitzel, spatzle, green beans, german potato salad, brotchen, and black forest cake to finish off the meal. People took turns in the kitchen until everything came together. It was great fun, we laughed a lot, and shared a delicious meal. This Easter Sunday, the priest talked about the unconditional love that God offers to us. A statement stood out to me, “Evil imposes, Love invites”. The point being that it is our choice to accept this unlimited love from God, because He is God. I think familial love is the closest example we have on earth. We have the opportunity to both show unconditional love and to accept it. In my family, I feel we do both and I feel very blessed,
I Found God today in His inviting love.
A couple weeks ago, a friend found out he has an aggressive type of cancer. Though he’s almost 80 years old, he would drive to his condo in the mountains and go skiing all during the winter. He felt great, but had some minor pains that he took to be kidney stones. So, he and his wife were quite surprised to learn that he has cancer. He will be having major surgery on Monday and checking into the hospital tomorrow. In preparation, this morning, he received the Anointing of the Sick and invited people to come. I and several others gathered at the church for the occasion, including of course the pastor and two deacons as well. We all huddled around the Baptismal font and prayed for my friend while he was anointed with the oil. It was a short, intimate, beautiful Sacrament to be a part of. I thought it was wonderful that the couple invited and encouraged people to be involved in their struggles and in their faith.
I Found God today praying with caring people.
My parents celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary today. They said several times that they couldn’t believe how much time has gone by and that they are still here to celebrate. It just happened to also be Good Friday. The weather outside was just about perfect, so we decided to pack a picnic lunch and head over to the park. One park near the house was just opened last year. It has sports playing fields, covered or open picnic tables, wide walking paths, assorted playgrounds for the kids, and even a small water spray area that was not yet turned on. As we ate our lunch, we watched all the commotion of busy children. My dad clapped for the little girl doing cartwheels, so she thanked him and did some more. Everyone was happy to be outside enjoying the beautiful day. After the park, we went to the Stations of the Cross at the church. The prayers were somber, yet powerful as we remembered how Jesus took our sins upon Himself to death on the cross. And in exchange, He asks us to allow Him to love us. I thought of the scene in the movie “The Passion” where Jesus looked at His mother and said, “See, I make all things new.” The statement seemed very relevant today. It was indeed a Good Friday.
I Found God today in celebrating my parents on Good Friday.
Holy Thursday Mass tonight was beautiful. It was pretty traditional with chanting and moving hymns. As I watched the priest wash the feet of 12 people, I remembered when I had my feet washed and what an incredible moment that was. I remembered inviting some youth to have their feet washed and watching their reactions. And I remembered when my son was an altar server and the holy moments he shared in during the Triduum. I’m feeling pretty blessed for these experiences.
I Found God today experiencing Holy Thursday.
When my mom got up this morning, she said she was feeling really good – better than she has in a few months. She said she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her. When my dad got up he exclaimed that it was a beautiful day, and a beautiful life. It was an upbeat day for my parents and good to see them that way.
I Found God today in a positive day.
A while ago, during my dad’s unexpected hospital visit one of the tests discovered a tumor on my dad’s pancreas. Since then, we have been praying to Our Lady of Lourdes and blessing ourselves with holy water. My dad has been putting his share on his stomach where the pancreas is located. He has had several doctor’s appointments and tests since then. There have been many conversations about what the next best step would be and many decisions to make. Since he has no symptoms at all and don’t want to make things worse, we have been taking it slow. My dad had a very important scan yesterday early in the morning in the city about an hour and a half away. We were very happy that is was a relatively uneventful and easy procedure. Today was the follow up with the doctor. We found out that it is the best case scenario – other than the tumor completely disappearing which is what my dad was praying for. The tumor is not an aggressive type of cancer. He will have scans every 6 months or so to see if there is any progression. The doctor said the cancer may just sit there and not cause any problems for weeks, months, years, or even a decade. My dad told her he was going to go home and live his life. And maybe take a cruise. She thought that was an excellent idea. Tonight, we said a thanksgiving prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes.
I Found God today in very good news about my dad’s health.
For the past couple of days, I have been struggling with my own humanity, imperfections, negative thoughts, and sinful tendencies. However, in that, I have seen and felt God’s grace. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
I Found God today in God’s grace despite my imperfect humanity.
