This is a True Story

About 7 years ago I went to Jamaica to work at the Mustard Seed Communities for my summer break from school. Let's just say I am spoiled, I hate the heat and I'm not quite as humble and giving as I thought. But that is not the point. I wanted to pray the rosary and read scripture every night before I went to bed and one night I was wiped out and thought to myself "I want to skip reading the Bible night." A wise Bible instructor taught me once that "The Bad Guy" likes to tempt you most away from church or scripture on days when he knows you will benefit the most. So instead of skipping my Bible reading that night I thought to myself "Get behind me Satan. Lord, show me something I need to hear" and I opened the book to John 21. This is the passage when Jesus has been resurrected and he returns to Peter and asks him 3 times "Peter, do you love me?" and each time Peter says "You know I do Lord" and Jesus responds to him, 3 times "Feed my lambs," "Tend my sheep" and "Feed my sheep." The very next night I asked God to reveal something else important to me, something I needed to hear and I opened the Bible randomly to John 21. Okay, so maybe I had folded the book open firmly the night before and it wanted to fall there, but I had other bookmarks in the book and it fell right on John 21 again. This was a Friday night. I smiled and laughed a nervous giggle and thought "Alrighty then. Guess I'm supposed to read this." Two days later, we took the kids in wheelchairs down the hill and up the stairs to attend Mass, as was the custom. We sat there swatting flies from the kids' faces, sung all the great uplifting songs and watched all the locals praise God in such a beautiful way (the Catholics in Jamaica have no problem dancing and singing real loud for the Lord). When the gospel was announced -- I am serious as a heart attack -- it was John 21. You have to know one thing: I am a special ed teacher working with kids who have severe and profound disabilities. I am not the most creative or the best teacher at school, but I KNOW God wanted to me work with these kids. No question in my mind. So as I sat, surrounded by these familiar kids in wheelchairs and the priest steps up to start his homily, I am crying almost audibly, most definitely visibly and he says "Who does Jesus mean by sheep or lambs? These kids here that sit in the back of my church! The most innocent ones in Jesus' flock!" He also goes on to state Jesus means (to the disciples), ALL his children, but it blew me away.

I had a hard time this week with lots of distractions and burdens to carry, but God reminded me TWICE of this event. I called my dear Sister Peg to pray with me yesterday and her words are always so wise and perfect. She got me crying and crying, reminding me again that when I am down, God is reminding me to lean on him and not to get distracted by daily woes. Well, Frannie and I went to Mass this morning (Kevin is in San Fran for a game) and the seminarian who was with our parish for the summer spoke for a few minutes and told us that while praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament a few years ago, God revealed John 21 to him which is what helped make his decision to become a priest. He also went on to talk about all he learned at St. John Neumann this summer and he was especially grateful to spend 5 days in Jamaica with fellow missionaries from our parish, working with the poor.

God is so good. Thanks for reminding me of that summer and how much I need to hand it over to you.