November 23, 2007

Be Still

Exodus 14:14The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Psalm 37:7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
Psalm 46:10"Be still, and know that I am God;
Zechariah 2:13Be still before the LORD, all mankind
Mark 4:39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Many, many emails have expressed the deep level of reverence, awe, and beauty that many felt present at the Holy Hour, a week ago, Thursday. This was spoken from both non-Catholics and Catholics alike. For many, this was their first time to attend a Holy Hour. Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him …” reminds us that there are beauty and blessings amidst the trials, if our eyes are open to see them.

Another blessing was the experience I had last Saturday at the confirmation retreat when I stood in as proxy for Shannon who is Brittany’s confirmation sponsor. “The Giving Tree” was the theme of one of the sessions and this is one of Shannon’s favorite books. I had just read this to her the day before as she was beginning to regain some of her cognitive abilities and awareness as she recovered from the encephalopathy.

Days earlier the encephalopathy shut down the section of Shannon’s brain that communicated all her cognitive and physical abilities. Although she lost the ability to communicate or move for 2 days, at the time of the Holy Hour she improved and a decision to move her back to Oncology was made.

The encephalopathy itself was like a stillness that overcame Shannon. The outside world was shut out. In response we found that we also had to be still, and shut out the world in order to remain at peace and handle the situation. God seemed to be saying, “Be Still”:

In the stillness we were without distraction and most able to not allow the wave of fear engulf us. So, like the song “Be Not Afraid” that was sung at the Holy Hour, let us pray that we will not afraid, and have the courage to enter into the stillness. (The photo above was the view from Shannon’s hospital window on Thanksgiving as the sun was setting.)

On Thanksgiving Day we enjoyed a beautiful, buffet, Thanksgiving meal at Johns Hopkins. Shannon’s ability to eat has not yet returned, but you can see by the picture that she gave it a good try. It may take a month or two for her to fully recover from the encephalopathy. We are so thankful for everything that the youth group, the schools, the parish community, Shannon’s friends, and every individual who spoke in prayer for Shannon’s strength and recovery and the doctor’s wisdom. It is this that has made us be not afraid.

God Bless,
Bonnie and Greg