The God Squad

My father became suddenly and very seriously ill this weekend.  He was in the ER and being admitted to ICU while my husband and I were racing home from New England where we had attended a wedding the night before.  (Even worse my son had been staying with my parents while all this was happening.)

For me, one of the worst things about the situation is that I can do something.  I am a "do something" person.  But I am not a medical professional.  There is nothing I can do.  I do go visit, but that isn't really "doing" something in my book.  I want to take action; to prove to myself that I am a part of the situation.  I want some sense of control where there is none.

So what do I do?

I consider myself a relatively faithful Christian, although I have certainly had my moments of lack of faith.  So while I may pray in my daily life (although I may not pray every day), when something as catastrophic as a serious illness happens in my family, you can bet that I'm having some serious conversations in my head with God.

I become a believer in the numbers game.  I let family and friends know what it going on and ask that they send their prayers and good thoughts.  It doesn't matter what religion they are a part of or even if they are not religious at all.  I may be a Christian, but a good friend of my husband's is a Rabbi and I was grateful for her prayers.  My father is a different Christian denomination than I, but I have no problems asking my church family, as well as his, for prayers.  I have left a message at his seasonal summer church and emailed the pastor who serves there for several weeks each summer and who has become a good friend to my father.  I have shamelessly posted a message on my father's Facebook wall (a place where he may catch up with others, but rarely if ever posts anything).  I am not above asking for people of all faiths to say a prayer.

I want to do something.  I want to help.  This is the one thing that I can do.  And so I do.

If you feel so inclined to say a prayer yourself for the father of this wacky lady who writes this incoherent blog that would be appreciated.  Because then I have done something.  In my mind, I have made a contribution.