Last year I posted the picture of a unique lady from Calvert County, Maryland ... known for her clever and very personal poetry honoring county individuals. She was in a hospital bed healing from some of the realities that come to those who are senior seniors (octogenarians)!!! Her name, as I mentioned, is Lil. Well, despite a calendar that will not stop passing so quickly and senior citizenship that does not halt inflicting some of the hazard of seniordom, Lil and her chauffeur made it up to DC last evening to share a visit with this recuperating blogger. I want to show you what happens when we truly believe that God is calling us to a new vocation.
No longer the regular Tuesday hospital visitor with the Eucharist at the local hospital, she has taken on a new ministry, her new calling. She is confining her work to just a few home bound folks. She has been bringing laughs and great joy to their lives. There is one young man who was paralyzed in a fall. Regularly she brings the message of hope to him. She even brought him a computer program that allows him to "speak into" the computer and then see his words appear of the monitor. She continues to bring him the Good News. Although not a Catholic like his wife and children, he is finding out what it means to have Lil visiting and talking about the Church. Something like "no rest for the weary."
Well, I felt like one of those whom she has taken under her wing or another of her red hats. The picture was taken during her visit to me. Now you can understand why her husband sends her off on her own as often as he can!!!! Just a joke! And if you think this is a crazy picture, you should have seen the nurse costume she was wearing, stethoscope included. I cannot post that picture.
So here is a unique lady who believes that every day God speaks to us in different ways ... but all intended to help us come to know ourselves better than we did yesterday. No matter what our age, no matter who our health or mobility might be, God will never cease offering us the call to be on our journey. Here is the journey of a happy person, despite many physical ailments. "Stop" and "never" are two words that cannot be found in her dictionary.
As we consider our personal spiritual journeys, we don't have to always think heavy thoughts or expect God to be asking very challenging missions of us.
Today's gospel recounts the generosity and care of the friends of a paralytic. He wanted to get to Jesus but the crowds made it impossible. But his need and the dedicated help of friends, true friends, did not let the crush of people stop their mission of bringing the friend to Jesus. This is the call that many of receive from the Lord: to visit the sick, to help them, to bring joy to them. Is this hard to do? Lifting a stretcher is difficult but bringing joy to some one's heart is not. And hopefully this story will bring you back to Lil's efforts with her friend, Jeff. She doesn't just pray for those in need. She walks the walk and talks the talk and talks the talk. She has heard the new call God gave her when she had to end her hospital ministry. Ministry to another individual or two or three.
This is the mystery and the wonder of hearing God's voice speak in our hearts. It can lead us to the most amazing ministries.
