The crosses we carry

Easter is a time to celebrate the great gift that Jesus gave when He died to save us, but it is also a time to celebrate second chances and the miracles of life. God gave us all a second chance to be redeemed through His son's death, and God gave Uncle John a second chance to live a life that has and will continue to impact hundreds. I remember after Uncle John was taken out of his house in the ambulance, I went in the bathroom to collect my self, and saw a quote on their wall from Mother Theresa that read "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." I remember smiling because even in the midst of such tragedy this real truth gave me peace knowing that everything would work out just the way that it was supposed to.....and it sure did! It is so hard to put into words the joy I feel that Uncle John is able to be home during this Easter season with his family. Happy Easter to all of you, and now, for a letter to all of you from Aunt Maureen.

To all of our Family and Friends,

Happy Easter! For the past several weeks I have felt in my heart a desire to share with each of you some of my own reflections on our journey with John's miraculous return to healing. It seems so fitting to do this on Easter Sunday. I have been reflecting on the gift of life and the challenges of facing the trials and crosses that God asks each of us to carry. John and I are very aware that the events of the past two months have not only touched us and our children, but many around us who love and care for us. We have a renewed sense of the value of the gift of life and the fragility of life. We also have a renewed awareness of all of the love that surrounds us and how God uses others to love and care for you when He asks you to carry a difficult cross.
In the past year, I have personally seen several close friends lose loved ones to violence and terminal illness. In the past week, we have lost a well-loved priest in our community. Two days before John was discharged from the hospital, I was en route to see him and came upon a young man who had just been involved in a motorcycle accident. I stopped to make sure he was okay. He was scared and bruised, but was alive and okay. All he could say was "God Bless You!" The day before John's discharge I personally came upon a situation in which a new mother and father gave birth to a beautiful baby boy in the hallway on the way to the Labor and Delivery department of Virginia Hospital Center. I was stunned and yet so grateful to share in two moments in other people's live that I am sure deeply impressed upon them the gift of life. Two days after John came home from the hospital, a priest who three weeks before had told me he was praying for John had a heart attack and died after Holy Thursday services. What is the common thread in all of these situations? How precious is the gift of life! I know each of you have shared in and witnessed the grief associated with losing a loved one. I am also acutely aware of how blessed we have been to be given the grace of more time with John who is so dear to us. In a very real sense, this Easter we are celebrating the renewed gift of life in John. He now has a fresh and new appreciation of the gift of his own life and it shows in his resolve to live his life now committed to whatever God has planned or in store for him. As Christians, we have just observed a period of fast and abstinence and ended with Holy Week. Because John was not yet strong enough to attend Holy Week services, he and I decided to watch the movie "Jesus of Nazareth". It was a wonderful reminder of the self-less love and mercy of Jesus and His father's profound love for each of us. It was a beautiful reminder of how Jesus carried His chosen cross out of Love for Each of us. I thought about how easily we forget that sacrifice or take it for granted.
The lessons I have learned through this journey are many, but the most significant is that:when the Lord asks you to carry a cross or tests your faith, if you turn to Him and trust Him to know what you need He will provide for you. We live in a culture that falsely tells us that we are in control of our own lives and our own happiness. Our journey with John has showed us how false that is!. God has and will continue to be in control of each of our lives. He decides when we are born and when we die. We can make a lot of choices in between, but if we allow Him to guide us and help us, He will overwhelmingly provide for us. We are humbled and so grateful to Him for how he has provided for us these past few months. We only hope and pray that we can live the rest of our lives in a way that truly shows our appreciation and honors Him. God Bless Each of You and we wish you a blessed Easter! For those of you who are coming, we look forward to celebrating John's renewed gift of life on the 18th of April. Love to all,
Maureen