March 24th, 2013: God's Time

This entry is going to be disjointed.  My thoughts and prayers have yet to coalesce into something deeply insightful.  Luckily, "God writes straight with crooked lines".  

Yesterday at about 6:30pm I got back from a Spring Break trip with 6 students from the USC Caruso Catholic Center to Appalachia; specifically we went to Vanceburg, Kentucky and volunteered with Glenmary Farms (http://www.glenmary.org/farm/).  The trip was very prayer-filled.  I learned a lot about the area, culture, and people.  For example, in Lewis County, less than 1% of all people are Catholic.  When we went to Sunday mass, last week, there were probably about 20 people present, including us.  35% of people in Lewis County are unemployed.  The national average for unemployment is about 15%.  Since there is no work, the community is an aging community.  Music, specifically country music, and family, tend to be the heart and soul of the people in Vanceburg.  I'll reflect more on this experience in a later post.

I personally re-learned that I can live in radical simplicity in the United States.  It felt natural, comfortable and authentically me, living simply, doing acts of service, praying constantly, being present to people, and living in community.  I think the three things I missed most were:  my family, eating healthy, and running - the last two are luxuries that people in poverty generally cannot choose.      

Today, back in Los Angeles, reality hit.  I went back to the office and things were moving a lot faster than the pace I was getting used to in Kentucky.  Everything in Kentucky was in "God's Time".  Our cell phones did not work, we did not have internet, and I don't wear a watch.  I rarely knew what time it was.  If we were not working, ministering, being present to one another, or eating, I was praying, journaling, or reading, "My Life with the Saints" by Fr. James Martin, SJ.   

Today, shortly before mass at 7pm I received a text message from my mami, "I am back in the hospital.  Pray."  On Saturday, my mami had been released from the rehabilitation facility/hospital and within 24 hours she was back in the hospital.  I could not call her in the moment.  I had to wait until 10pm to call her.  All throughout mass I kept starting at the crucifix, asking God to watch over my mami.  The crucifix in our church is depicted on the left.  No matter where you are in the church, if you look into Jesus' eyes, it seems as if he's looking right at you, with compassion, saying "I am with you always".  If God could bare the pain of the world on the cross, I know that my mami can fight GBS and her family and friends can support her.  If I was not lectoring I would have cried.           

As soon as left the Catholic Center I called my dad.  He told me that early this morning she could not hold down food.  A nurse came to the house, checked her vitals, called the doctor, and together they made the decision to take her back to the hospital.  Now my mami feels a little better.  She is holding down food and she's in good spirits.  Please continue to pray for my mami's recovery.  Sofia, Mike, Mike's parents and I are headed to Oxnard this Wednesday.  I am so excited to see my mami after two weeks of not seeing her!  Thank you in advance for your prayers.

A.M.D.G.