One Sunday after church I stopped to tell Deacon Jim that his words this day really struck a chord with me. I can no longer remember what they were, I only remember our conversation.
I thanked him for his prayers and for being a part of my most recent anointment with the oil for the infirmed. I then told him that my MRI had come back clear. I now know the conversation that followed was no coincidence.
Deacon Jim responded with, “I haven’t had one of those in 10 years. But I had them for 20 years”. I asked him for clarification, “You had MRIs for 20 years”? He confirmed this, and I then asked if he would mind if I asked why he had MRIs for 20 years. He shared his story.
He had a brain tumor, which was surgically removed. The MRIs were to ensure it did not come back. After 20 years they stopped testing Deacon Jim. It has now been 30 years since his tumor was removed.
I believe that Deacon Jim was put in my life as a symbol of hope. This conversation with Deacon Jim happened about two months ago. But only today, as I write down what transpired, am I able to recognize the significance.
I don’t have another MRI for several weeks, and my treatments ended in June. I have moments when I get scared because my monitoring is not as frequent as it had been. Deacon Jim’s story gives me hope, and in this hope I find strength. As I said, it is not a coincidence that this happened.
“Thank You, God, for giving me Deacon Jim, as a symbol of hope and Your love”.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Holy Thursday
Today is Holy Thursday. It is April 5, 2012. About two weeks ago (3rd week of March), I was going through my church bulletin, marking my calendar with things that I wanted to ensure I kept room for. I marked the Stations of the Cross service I wanted to go to, the Palm Sunday service, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. I also marked Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday, not really knowing what it was or what I would do that day. But I knew it was significant, so I marked it on the calendar. I later asked my father, and he said that we would not be doing anything that day, that it was not like Easter or Good Friday or Palm Sunday.
On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, we were at church and the Priest asked if he could speak with us after Mass. We stayed after to speak with him. He told us that on Holy Thursday the church would be getting the Holy oils, blessed by the Bishop. He said that this year they would be receiving the anointing oil for the sick. He asked if I would carry it in ceremoniously, as a part of the service. He said that he has not seen God work so miraculously, as he has seen Him work in me. And since the Church has been behind me on my journey and he has personally anointed me with the oil for the sick, he thought it appropriate for me to carry in the new oil. I was so honored to have been asked.
Now I know why I wrote Holy Thursday on my calendar – to ensure I saved room to carry the Holy oil into the church. About two weeks before being asked I wrote it, not knowing what I would be doing. A week to 10 days after I wrote it, I was asked to be a part of a very meaningful service. This must have been God’s plan. I cried as 2 and 2 became 4. I wrote it in my calendar to save room for God’s plan for me – to carry in the Holy oil. The priest’s eyes welled up as I explained it to him.
As my dad and I drove off something else occurred to me. Holy Thursday, the day I unknowingly set aside to carry the Holy oil, is also the one-year anniversary of my brain cancer surgery. On this one-year anniversary day, God called me to be present. From almost 2 weeks prior, he made it known that he wanted my participation. It was His plan all along. I only needed to be open to it, to write it on my calendar without knowing why or what.
And as I thought more, something else occurred to me. Lately, during my morning prayers, I had been asking God for a sign that He is still with me on this journey. I don’t think He could have given me a more obvious sign. God is with me, and I am so blessed.
On Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, we were at church and the Priest asked if he could speak with us after Mass. We stayed after to speak with him. He told us that on Holy Thursday the church would be getting the Holy oils, blessed by the Bishop. He said that this year they would be receiving the anointing oil for the sick. He asked if I would carry it in ceremoniously, as a part of the service. He said that he has not seen God work so miraculously, as he has seen Him work in me. And since the Church has been behind me on my journey and he has personally anointed me with the oil for the sick, he thought it appropriate for me to carry in the new oil. I was so honored to have been asked.
Now I know why I wrote Holy Thursday on my calendar – to ensure I saved room to carry the Holy oil into the church. About two weeks before being asked I wrote it, not knowing what I would be doing. A week to 10 days after I wrote it, I was asked to be a part of a very meaningful service. This must have been God’s plan. I cried as 2 and 2 became 4. I wrote it in my calendar to save room for God’s plan for me – to carry in the Holy oil. The priest’s eyes welled up as I explained it to him.
As my dad and I drove off something else occurred to me. Holy Thursday, the day I unknowingly set aside to carry the Holy oil, is also the one-year anniversary of my brain cancer surgery. On this one-year anniversary day, God called me to be present. From almost 2 weeks prior, he made it known that he wanted my participation. It was His plan all along. I only needed to be open to it, to write it on my calendar without knowing why or what.
And as I thought more, something else occurred to me. Lately, during my morning prayers, I had been asking God for a sign that He is still with me on this journey. I don’t think He could have given me a more obvious sign. God is with me, and I am so blessed.
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