God Peeks Our Interest, and Gets our Attention

I didn't mean to create a sense of suspense in my last posting. I just had some more to write and then Jerry walked in to get Paul for Mass and I didn't have his lunch ready for the day, nor had I given him his medicine or tended to his eye. When Jerry walked in I said, "Oh Man, I'm in BIG trouble....I am running later than ever before........Paul took his shower but hasn't gotten dressed yet and I haven't even begun my morning preparations for him!!" He laughed as he saw me still in my PJ's and bathrobe and typical of Jerry, remained calm! I couldn't believe the time and it actually shocked me when he walked in. I had been reading my Magnificat book and then got into reading a number of articles on catholicity.com and then started my posting for the day. Maybe it was the rainy weather outside that contributed to keeping me in such a distracted mode. Anyway, I had to fly like the wind to get everything done in time for them to leave for Mass. Paul was in a great mood and he handled all my 'rushing around' with the same calm as Jerry.

2 things to tell you that were so neat! At my talk on Saturday, Fr. Peek's younger sister, Christina Peek, came up to me after it was over and she said she is studying to be a physical therapist. Her class is now focused on training for those who have suffered brain injuries. She mentioned that while Paul is working with a personal trainer for increased endurance and strength, the issue of balance won't necessarily be addressed. Paul still feels like he doesn't have very good balance and is actually heading backwards in his progress he had made by always wanting to hold onto someone when he walks. She said to contact her this week about bringing Paul to the training sessions so that he and the students would benefit. A win-win situation. The timing of it all is so terrific. What is so amazing is that I first saw Christina at a youth retreat years ago. I was the youth group leader for our church and I took the kids to this retreat. Fr. Peek was very involved with it and he introduced his sister and mother to all of us at the retreat. The loving way he talked about his mother and sister made me want to call mine and tell them how much I love THEM. Some time later, I saw Mrs. Peek and Christina out at the Holy Spirit Monastery when we were all celebrating the birthday of Blessed Mary by being consecrated to her at the Mass celebrated by Fr. Tim Hepburn. (My sister Bev was with me! A really great day for us both!) A couple of years after that, I was a hostess at one of the Magnificat prayer breakfasts, and Mrs. Peek came and sat at my table. I was so happy she did. I felt honored to serve her as she has 11 children and 2 of her sons are priests and I believe she also has a daughter who is a nun. What awesome gifts she has brought to Jesus in His church. Then, a few years later...........she and Christina came to hear me speak! I was so glad that part of my talk was about the generous and loving support Fr. Kevin Peek brought to our family, so they would know how great a priest he is! I am sure it is not the first or last time they will hear about his powerful influence on the people in this diocese. It is neat to look back and see the weavings of God. Little did I know that this priest who I first saw at a retreat in 2000 would be the priest who administered Last Rites to Paul and who would bring great comfort to this family at the most painful event of our lives. The connection was that Paul's girlfriend, Geneva Baran was best friends with Christina Peek! Thank you once again Geneva.

The other thing I wanted to share was how we have been so amazed how all of you dear people have stayed the course with us. Your prayerful and loving support is beyond measure. We have often talked about how we could hardly wait to "pray forward" for others in the same way we have received. Well, we got to and it made me happy God answered our prayers. A week ago I was talking to a woman at our church and she said she was in charge of one of the tables at an event called "Advent by Candle Light". It sounded like a wonderful evening, and I asked if it was too late to sign up. She said she had room at her table and so it would be okay for me to come. So, this past Sunday night, I went. I thought it would be a great way to end my weekend after my talk. A great way to relax and reflect on the season of Advent. While I was there, my friend Dee Huggins (her son Chip had a head injury 2 yrs ago) brought someone over to meet me. She told me how the woman's husband had a heart attack almost 2 yrs ago and is still in a form of coma. He is taken care of by his wife, daughter and nursing care. I felt such sadness immediately for her, as I instantly remembered a social worker telling Jon and I in the second week of Paul's coma, to get our dining room ready for Paul, because that is where he would be since he was so young and no nursing homes would take him. This young woman was doing just that. Her husband is 42 yrs old. She said that no one comes to pray anymore and the people at the church do bring Communion to him sometimes. But no one else comes. She said it is too painful for them. I could see the loneliness in her face. Dee told her we would come pray the rosary with her. She said people say that but never come. Dee looked at me and we both agreed that we would come the very next night. She was very happy to hear we would really come. Someone would be there to pray for her husband.

I went home and told Jon that I was going to be gone the next evening too. He said he would go with me! So, I got home on Monday, quickly cooked dinner and while we were eating, Paul and Jerry said they would go also. We all went and we totally surprised her with the number of people who were standing at her front door. She was so happy to meet Paul and was so thankful he had come. We brought the relic of St. John Neumann, the soil from Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, the blessed oil of St. Pio and a medal of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, blessed by John Paul II. And, last but not least was 'the rock' my sister mentioned in her comment yesterday. She had been in Rome this past Fall with Fr. John Ricardo on a retreat. His friend was being ordained at the Vatican and Mary Beth and her husband Michael were invited to go, along with a few other couples. They were down at the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle. There was some work being done at the tomb and as they were leaving, one of the men who was with them picked up a couple of the tiny pieces of the broken tomb that was laying on the ground. He showed Mary Beth afterwards and he then gave her one for Paul. She told me about a month ago about it, that she had a really beautiful gift for Paul. I had forgotten about it and on Monday, when I got home, her letter was there and inside was the tiny little pieces of rock that had come from the tomb of St. Peter. It had been broken up due to the mail, so I gathered it all into a zip-lock bag. I was immediately excited that it came on the day I was going to be able to thank God by 'praying forward' for someone else who was in desparate need of prayer. Dee was there and she had brought her neighbor Megan. It turns out, our oldest son John went to Piedmont College with Megan and she was part of the very small Catholic youth group at the predominantly Protestant college! John used to drive her to Mass at St. Mark's. This small group of young men and women used to drive down from the college on Tuesday nights to hear Fr. Jack Durkin give his bible studies at St. John Neumann. One of the women in the group became a nun and she is the one who had a cardinal say a Mass for Paul last November, as she is in Rome. God's weavings.........so beautiful!

Anyway, we were all present at this woman's home and we touched the relics to her husband and prayed over him like people had done for Paul. We prayed the rosary and other prayers. This woman was in the RCIA program to be converted to Catholicism when her husband had his heart attack. She was not able to finish. Having us there brought her great joy. She asked if we could come again and I told her that without fail, we would come to pray as often as we could. Her husband seemed to respond to some of what was going on. I believe his soul was totally aware that we were there! My prayer of long ago was answered. I asked God to let me share the abundance of love and prayers that had been showered down on us and He brought us to this family. I pray we can be instruments of His peace and hope and joy.

Later, Paul thanked us over and over for taking him with us. He stood by this man and touched him as he prayed silently over him. I thank God so much for brining Paul into a life of pray. May this beautiful gift be life long for him.

I am going to also bring this man to all of you. His name is Chris, and his wife Kathy, needs your prayers much more than we do. Please lift their names up to God as you pray today.

May faith, hope and love increase in the hearts of all today,
in Jesus' name we pray.

Love,
Jon and Rebecca

pictures will be posted later - they wouldn't upload this morning...........sigh. I am sure it is operator error..........sigh again.