Since Monday our family has been playing a waiting game, trying to ride out the storm. Sometimes the winds calm down and we think the storm's almost over. And then the winds and waves redouble their fury.
Oh God! If we don't cling to You, the solid Rock of You, we're going down. We really are.
I know everyone goes through this, this horrible feeling of helplessness and the accompanying fury: can't the Doctors do MORE? Are they listening to us?
The storm is in our souls now, the winds so loud they almost drown out our hope, our trust in God. We have to hold on hard to the solid Rock of the Lighthouse, look to the solid, streaming Light of the World. Help us, God. You're the Divine Physician. Help us. Guide us in what we say to the Doctors. Guide us as we speak to our relative so we can project hope and calm.
When we're not at the hospital, we gather at the table over coffee and talk. Share about our faith, our trust that God is leading us all through the storm, that God always brings good out of suffering, that our relative will be stronger after this storm has passed. We share with tears in our eyes, about our own past struggles that God has brought us through. And our shared faith and our shared stories strengthen us and bring us closer to each other and closer to the Lord.
I share my story with you because I know you've gone through or are going through similar storms. And the Light of the World lives in your hearts. I can hear your voices through the wind and the rain as we share our faith and pray together: Only You can help us God. And we know that You will. And that You already are.