Jonathan and Joseph Tarantino, visiting Paul on SaturdaySunday Night
Paul has continued with a fever of 100+ throughout the day. He ate some cereal (only thing he felt like eating this morning),a banana and later some applesauce. He has had an upset stomach on and off since Thursday. Today we thought he might not be able to keep his lunch down, but he was fine after a few moments. That same thing happened tonight when I had to administer some more Motrin. He will be seeing his doctor tomorrow to determine if it is a viral or bacterial infection. I am praying it will be bacterial so that antibiotics can be prescribed. I have not been able to get any real nutrition into him and am discouraged he is losing the much needed weight. He will sure be busy this next week working to regain it. I wonder....is there a patron saint for great appetite and weight gain? We need to get him/her on board with intercessory prayers! Smile.
Geneva came to visit today and Paul did a great job answering her questions and paying attention. He does not initiate conversation, so anyone visiting has to pose questions occasionally to get Paul involved and be a contributing participant. Paul's friends are so wonderful and patient and giving. I can hardly wait for the day when Paul can understand all that was done for him as he recovered. I know there are many changes that will take place with Paul and he will benefit from the wonderful example of all the love shown.
Jon and I did not get to go to Mass until 6 pm since we were so busy tending to Paul's needs yesterday. Michael and Geneva watched over Paul so we could go. A big thank you to both of them It was a very nice moment for us, as we have not been out of the house together and alone since Paul has been home. (Not a complaint!) It was another pocket of peace for us and we really enjoyed it.
Besides the heat wave going on with Paul, in the afternoon, afer Paul was finally sleeping soundly, I went outside to enjoy the unusual warmth and sun. I went out to my garden to do some clean up work I had intended to do before the accident. I still have the pansies in the original trays I bought the first week in November, and they have now taken root below the trays, so they are providing some color to an otherwise bleak area. The vegetable garden and rose garden needed tending so badly. Mike cut back the roses and I started to get some of the weeds pulled so that I could then begin to turn the soil. It is a fairly large vegetable garden, so I thougt it would be good to get at least an hour of work done. The sun was on my back and it felt so good to be outside, with only the sound of birds chirping. It is wonderful how God will 'talk' to you once you can quiet your mind long enough to hear. As I was pulling up the weeds, I was thinking how weird it was that some of them were still so hard to pull out, even though they were dead on the top due to the freezing weather we had. I was tugging away at one and it occured to me that it is like our sins. We are not always aware of all of our sinful ways. On the surface, it does not appear that our actions, words or thoughts are harmful to our souls and our relationship with God. As with the dead weeds, we may even think we have finally overcome some of our sinfulness. Yet, the root of that sin can still be below the surface, dormant until the right environment comes along where it will begin to grow again. A lack of prayerfulness is the beginning of that environment that allows the sin to start to grow. When I strive hard to know God and His ways, I am shown that some of my ways are very sinful and need to be taken out by the root. My sins are made known to me and I recognize them for what they are. When I am too busy with all the other things that distract me, I become fertile ground for the root to take hold. And like a garden, if I don't tend to my soul, the root of my sinfulness is harder to pull out. As I continued pulling the weeds I realized we are close to Lent and that I want to dedicate myself to a greater prayerfulness and keener awareness of all the ways I am so easily distracted. There is a discipline to gardening and I need to strive for that same discipline in my my prayer life. I look forward with great hope that both will be blooming by spring.
As my brother Jim would say,
Peace, love and sunny days ahead!
May the Light of Christ shine on you all today,
Jon and Rebecca Fidero
Monday Morning
Paul is now at day 6 with fever. We will keep you posted about the diagnosis we hope to get today from the doctor. Thank you so much for keeping him in your prayers. Also, remember to keep Diane and her unborn twins in your prayers, she is stable at this time, praise be to God.
5 comments:
Dear ones,
Paul, Diane and the babies are in our prayers..continually. Please do keep us posted on how all are doing medically.
Spiritually, I loved your garden analogy. It is an interesting insight you pose about weeds, deep roots and sin. You gave me something good to ponder.
Every day, we pray for all of you. I know this road is not what you would choose, but the rewards are going to continue to blow your socks off...I absolutely believe it!
The patron saint for fevers is St. Genevieve. Given Paul's musical talent, St. Cecelia would be a great choice too-- the patron saint for musicians.
Hang in there Paul. We are all praying for your complete recovery.
I feel confident that I speak for many when I say, "What a blessing you are to us."
I believe that all those who pray for and participate in Paul's recovery are feeling a bit closer to God these many days since last November.
Your garden analogy is a perfect example. God has revealed Himself to you in the simple, manageable things, like tending your garden, and then to us through your example and writing of your experiences with God.
It occurs to me that with such dedicated attention and care to your "personal" garden during Lent, you will succeed in finding and rooting out many of the distractions that keep you from a deeper relationship God, Our Father. God will enrich your garden with an abundance of His pansies which in turn will choke out the weeds of sinful temptation distraction. The more you meditate in prayer, the more you will see of His beauty on which to focus your eyes and thoughts and less of the distracting weeds.
As significant a miracle as God has granted Paul, He has also done for you, Jon and the boys. To paraphrase another, "though you would not have chosen it", the path that God has set you on is one of healing for all of you as well as Paul, and by extension, so many others. God does not hide His light under a bushel basket; He is the ultimate multi-tasker. His miracles echo into the hardest of hearts, the lonliest of places and you can never "unring" THAT bell!
The peal of the bell continues to echo in our minds as we continue to ponder God's plan for each of us and we will never forget that one, perfect note sounded in late November: Paul is awake! Indeed, there has been an awakening in so many since that day.
Let us be still in our "gardens" and listen once more for the echo as we continue to pray for Paul and the intentions of all the others God makes known to us.
Peace, Love and an abundance of pansies in your gaden,
uj
Thank you God for the blessings of my sisters and brothers. Truly we are all being cultivated to be beautiful blooms in God's garden. Thank you for sharing your insights and thoughts Jim and Rebecca. May we have the determination to remember to pass these along to those who are in need of such beauty. I love you all
MB
All I can say is "Ditto" to "UJ"
Jim said it all......and he to can write just as inspriring as you.
Rebecca we all all so blessed to be sharing this walk with you and your family. It is because of you taking the time to share that I diffently have a close relationship with God.
Most of us would never think of weeds the same way you have, but believe me, next time I happen to pull one of those suckers out, I will have a different thought in my head. LOL
Thank you all who continue to share with each of us in this blog.
May God Bless each and everyone of you.
Our prayers are with Paul, The Fidero Family, Diane and her babies.
Love you all, Debi
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