Day Tripper

Paul's surgery went well and he may be here only 24 hours!!! I have to wait until they have a room in the Neuroscience Unit to open before I can see him. It is always amazing to me that if I just wait patiently, God shows His way to me. When they told me that they were waiting for a couple of patients to be discharged and then the room would have to be cleaned, I knew they were talking about hours before I could see Paul again. My heart sunk and I wondered what I would do during this time. Feeling very hungry, since I had not eaten anything this morning, I went down to the cafeteria and got a little something to eat. There are windows across the cafeteria and the weather is just beautiful today, so I decided to eat outside on the patio. I turned on the computer and connected to the internet and went to the blog site. I read the comments posted today and had to work hard to not cry, since there were others around me. I could not stop the flow because it really felt like everyone was right here with me and I felt such comfort once again. To show that it was God's hand in all this, my attention was immediately drawn the sounds and sights of nature all around me. There was a monarch butterfly to my left about 15 feet away and only 3 feet away were 2 very tiny birds in the garden. The garden out in front of me was bursting with color from tulips and pansies and the sky had wispy white clouds that always remind me of angel wings. The chirping of birds was being carried to me on the gentle breeze blowing and I started to tear up all over again. Why do I doubt when I have had so many awesome visual aids showing that God knows our needs and hears our prayers? I will pray that St. Thomas the Apostle will take me as his special project!! May the force be with him..............smile.

Last night as we prayed the rosary, I remembered that we were married on the feast of St. Cosmas and Damian, two brothers who were physicians. Smiling at the thought about how all of this began with our marriage 25 years ago, I asked these 2 saints to pray with us, that the hands of the doctors and nurses would be led to do the best by Paul. I also asked St. Raphael, the medicine of God, to join us. That is when my doubt eased and my trust was restored.

Another moment that helped me this morning was when I went to the chapel after they took Paul in for his surgery. The room was very quiet and the sun was shining in the room. There was a prayer request book and I read the prayer of a woman whose mother was dying and I could instantly relate what she was feeling. It had been written the day before. I stood there praying that God would help this family as He had ours, and provide them with the strength to accept His will. I turned around and the hospital chaplain who had come to comfort us in the days following the accident was standing there. She recognized me immediately and gave me a hug. She listened as I told her of the amazing progress Paul has been making. She said that she was changed so much by our experience and she was glad she got to see me to let me know that. She said she does not usually come into the chapel, but for some reason decided to walk in. She of course laughed and said she understood why, once she saw me!
In relaying all the recovery that Paul has made, I realized it is hard to see the forest for the trees since I am always in the middle of it! Paul has really made great strides these past weeks, with only headaches holding him back. We will wait as God keeps working on that!

"Take up therefore thy cross and follow Jesus and thou shalt go into life everlasting. He is gone before thee, carrying His cross, and He died for thee upon the cross, that thou may also bear thy cross and love to die on the cross."
May God bless us all as we carry the burdens He has chosen and know that in all things He will sustain us.
Love,
Jon and Rebecca