Tuesday 4/13/10 - "HOLY MOMENTS"

"HOLY MOMENTS"

I returned from the hospital yesterday realizing I had experienced many holy moments during my visits. I knew I had felt the spirit of God. These moments blessed me and I pray they blessed those I sat with. These are just a few of my encounters.

I entered a room calling the name of the person in the second bed. The lady in the first bed told me her roommate spoke no English. The woman I was there to see was a tiny and frail, very black, very old woman sitting in a chair looking out the window. She recognized her name as I called her by turning her head towards me. At the same time a nurse's aide entered the room to take her vitals. She told me the lady spoke no English. I said I would smile at her - a Universal language. I sat with this woman, holding her hand, smiling at her, and when I left, gently kissed her cheek. When I left I knew God had conveyed His presence to her in that Universal language of love.

Something happened yesterday that has never happened before. I missed last Monday when I was home sick. There were two different gentlemen who had requested visits from the pastoral care department that I recognized from visiting two weeks prior. In each case, they had been discharged, had a return of severe symptoms and were readmitted. They were both extremely ill.

When I entered the room of the second man, his daughter, her husband, and their son were all in the room. When this gentleman and I recognized each other, they quietly left. It was good to be alone with him. His lungs were filled with fluid as they had been two weeks before. Each breath he took was shallow. He expressed that he was not afraid of dying, but he was afraid of not getting enough air with each breath he took. This gentleman had many other very serious health issues. God was in that room. I cut to the chase and asked if I could place my hand on his chest and he nodded. He closed his eyes and silently prayed as I prayed my silent prayer that I use whenever I am touching someone. They are planning on placing a port in his lung today that will allow for continual drainage. I pray for him.

The last story I choose to tell concerns a rather reserved and not very talkative woman. She spoke little, but in the course of our visit she asked me what church I went to. Whenever I am asked this I explain that in my role as a pastoral care volunteer, I am non-denominational. I then always explain that I was raised Presbyterian, was Baptist for a while, and became Catholic about 3 years ago. Sometimes people will ask me outright why I converted. I take this question (for right or wrong) to be a cue from God to tell them my story of how the healing touch came to me sitting in a Catholic church after having begun to receive holy communion. I always wonder what people are thinking when I tell this. Sometimes I worry that they think I am a 'nut case'. I am beginning to believe - maybe not. When I was finished telling this story she immediately asked me to place my hand on her chest and I did so. We prayed our silent prayers. She had been admitted through the ER with shortness of breath and chest pain. All tests had indicated she did not have a heart attack. They were to do further testing and I could tell she was frightened. We also prayed aloud together.

What can I say? God is so good to have blessed me with such a beautiful gift. My blessings are so many - my children, my marriage, my sobriety, this gift, so many others. I am grateful.

It is a gorgeous sunny day and I hear the birds singing like crazy outside the open window. I think I'll get ready to move out into this beautiful day. I pray your day is glorious too.

Prayer Girl

(Photo credit: mystic moments by ~nbak@deviantart.com)