I am presently in an internet wasteland of bandwidth starvation, east of Sedro Woolley, WA where neither satellite nor mobile hotspot can be roused for more than a hiccup. A simple photo I uploaded took 10 unsure minutes to make it. However it presses on my heart to share from my journal writings about a powerful experience on Monday night, June 13th.... that on a level I find difficult to quantify, is in another realm from "all that I do" in rebuilding my health. I share it unedited and from my heart:
"Last night the Sisters did Healing Prayer over me in their precious small chapel here. I'd asked if they were doing Evening Prayer, and Pat began to describe their "Faith Sharing" in a way that told me it was Lectio Divina. And THEN… dear Sr. Carol Ann asked me again if I would like to have Healing Prayer. "YES!" And it would take the place of the others.
It is one of the most powerful healing communal prayer services I have encountered. Sr. Carol Ann led me through the visual walk in a Scriptural account I felt guided to - the woman with the "issue of the blood." (It was that or the story of Queen Esther). I was led in the Healing Prayer to the scene… to seeing Jesus surrounded by the crowd… to making my way through the crowd… who looked at me askance? Who of the woman gently grabbed my arm and helped me through? Who others of the faithful nodded, knowing that to Whom I felt compelled to touch is God Himself?
As I touched His Garment from being close to the ground, squatting or semi-kneeling, I FELT the POWER COME INTO ME. I imagined the Light of Christ in a nearly visceral surge. And when He turned and said, "Who touched me?"… I was a mixture of things, from feeling no fear, yes, it WAS me, o Lord!, to a sense of a little girl thinking, please don't take this away from me. Please don't take this back. It was an ancient fear, from my childhood… that whatever was given to me was never assured as permanent, as safe. The winds could shift at any moment and whim could rob me in a heartbeat. That brushed past me briefly. And then Jesus took my hand and led me away from the crowd… as that wasn't really "part" of the Scriptural narrative, I struggled a wee bit and my visualizations were not crystal clear. I remember thanking Him by kissing his hand at the end of our brief talk, as J would Fr. Tom in the Sunday Night Oikos group. I had tears running down my face at this point. And we'd all held hands while Carol Ann led us in the visualization.
I feel more energized this morning than I have in some time."
That blessing was from my three days at The Hermitage Place in Tacoma, WA, my next step respite after five days with the Benedictine Sisters at St. Placid Priory in Lacey. The three Franciscan Sisters have no website, no blog. They have a brochure. They have the Lord's loving welcome and gracious peace. Some photos I took are HERE (click on the LINK, as usual).
My CBCs from Thursday, June 9th are sealed in an envelope at my request. As much as I pray and lean on the Lord God, I grow weary of my nose-ring knee-jerk upon seeing "the numbers". The numbers can wait. This day is at hand and blessed be God, it is a very nice one indeed.
